Vikram Bajaj and Jeff Bezos Lead $6.2 Billion AI Venture Project Prometheus

Jeff Bezos has taken his first formal operational position since departing as Amazon CEO in July 2021, co-leading an ambitious new AI venture.

New Delhi:

Vikram "Vik" Bajaj has been appointed co-chief executive of Project Prometheus, a highly confidential artificial intelligence startup, partnering with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to spearhead this innovative initiative.

The enterprise has secured an impressive $6.2 billion in funding, with substantial backing from Bezos. Their mission focuses on developing sophisticated AI technologies for engineering and manufacturing applications, including computers, automobiles, and spacecraft. This substantial investment positions Prometheus among the most well-capitalized new ventures globally.

For Bezos, this marks his first official operational role since stepping down as Amazon's CEO in July 2021. While he continues his involvement with Blue Origin as its founder, Prometheus represents his first executive leadership position outside the aerospace sector.

Who Is Vikram Bajaj?

Vikram 'Vik' Bajaj's educational background includes a BA/MS in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a PhD in Physical Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He subsequently completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley.

Bajaj launched his career as a research scientist and principal investigator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he contributed from 2011 to 2021. During this time, he also served on UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry advisory board.

In 2013, Bajaj co-established Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), an Alphabet company, where he fulfilled the roles of Chief Scientific Officer and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he simultaneously held a director position at Google X.

He later joined GRAIL, a company specializing in early cancer detection, serving as Chief Scientific Officer from 2016 to 2017 and continuing on its Scientific Advisory Board until 2021.

In 2017, Bajaj assumed the role of Managing Director at Foresite Capital Management, and the following year, he co-founded Foresite Labs, where he currently serves as CEO.

By 2021, Bajaj had also become a non-executive director of Genomics England. In 2023, he co-founded biotech firm Xaira Therapeutics, taking on responsibilities as director and interim president.

November 2025 marked Bajaj's latest career milestone with his appointment as co-CEO of Project Prometheus.