World model maker Odyssey nabs $1.45B valuation backed by Amazon and other big names
Key takeaways
- World models are the next big thing in AI beyond text- and chat-based large language models.
- That approach makes sense given the backgrounds of the founders.
- Odyssey, founded in 2023, now offers a handful of world models for a variety of use cases from video-game creation to robotics.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Odyssey, a world model AI startup founded by self-driving vehicle pioneers CEO Oliver Cameron and CTO Jeff Hawke, has raised a $310 million Series B round at a $1.45B valuation led by Natural Capital with Amazon, AMD Ventures, GV and others participating.
World models are the next big thing in AI beyond text- and chat-based large language models. They gather data from the physical world and simulate it with accurate physics. In Odyssey s case, it has mimicked how Google Earth gathered data; the startup sent people out with cameras strapped to their backs. (Google drives camera-equipped cars around.)
That approach makes sense given the backgrounds of the founders. Cameron was the co-founder and CEO of autonomous vehicle startup Voyage, which was acquired by GM s Cruise, where he later became VP of product; Hawke was an engineer at buzzy UK self-driving startup Wayve.