Safe Superintelligence is an AI start-up founded in June 2024 by OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, former Apple (AAPL -0.70%) AI leader Daniel Gross, and ex–OpenAI chief scientist Daniel Levy.
Sutskever played a major role in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s brief ouster in 2023 and left OpenAI in May 2024. He became CEO of Safe Superintelligence in July 2024 after Gross stepped down.
The company says its sole mission is to build a “safe superintelligence” -- an AI system more capable than humans but aligned with core values like liberty and democracy. In a 2024 Bloomberg interview, Sutskever said such a system “will not harm humanity at a large scale,” but has shared few specifics.
Safe Superintelligence hasn’t disclosed its investors or funding. The company has offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv and is recruiting a small team of top engineers focused exclusively on the company.
While you can’t invest in Safe Superintelligence today, you can gain exposure to other companies advancing AI technology.
Is Safe Superintelligence publicly traded?
Safe Superintelligence is not publicly traded, so you can't buy shares using your brokerage account. The company was founded in June 2024 and is in the process of assembling a team of engineers and researchers.
When will Safe Superintelligence IPO?
Safe Superintelligence has not discussed an initial public offering. The company says its business model "means safety, security, and progress are all insulated from short-term commercial pressures."
IPO
However, it completed a $2 billion funding round in mid-2025 that values the start-up at $32 billion, up from a $5 billion valuation after its first round of funding in September 2024. Google's parent company, Alphabet (GOOG -2.78%)(GOOGL -2.79%), along with Nvidia (NVDA +1.19%) and several major venture capital firms, is reportedly among its investors.
Is it profitable?
As a private company, Safe Superintelligence isn't required to publicly disclose financial information. However, the company was only founded in June 2024 and has yet to release a product or service to the public. Despite its recent $32 billion valuation, it's highly unlikely that the company is already profitable at this early stage.
You should probably avoid AI stocks if:
- You have a low risk tolerance and would be tempted to sell your AI holdings if share prices tanked.
- You don't understand the basics of how AI works.
- You believe AI is overhyped or that we're in the middle of an AI bubble.
- You're looking for dividend income. Although some top AI stocks, like Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, and Apple, pay modest dividends, companies in this space tend to reinvest their profits back into the company, so you can find better yields elsewhere.
- You think you may need your money in the next few years.
- You have ethical qualms about AI.
Pros and cons of investing in Safe Superintelligence
While it's not possible to buy stock in Safe Superintelligence just yet, here are some pros and cons of investing if and when shares eventually become available on public markets.
Pros:
- Strong leadership and investor backing. Safe Superintelligence is led by two OpenAI veterans and counts Google, Nvidia, and several leading venture capital companies among its early investors.
- Focused mission. As concerns about AI's potential to do harm mount, the company's singular focus on safety in AI could be appealing.
- High potential upside. Any AI start-up is inherently risky, but if the company succeeds in its mission, early investors could see enormous returns.
Cons:
- No product or clearly defined vision. Though its mission is to develop a safe superintelligence, the company hasn't disclosed many specifics about its vision and has yet to unveil a product or service.
- Potentially overvalued. Safe SuperIntelligence's latest funding round valued the start-up at $32 billion despite it likely not bringing in significant revenue.
- Speculative nature of AI. With AI still in its nascent stages, the field is highly competitive. It's unclear who the big winners will be in the development of artificial superintelligence, which, unlike general AI, would have capabilities that surpass human intelligence.
The bottom line
Safe Superintelligence is a very early-stage start-up that's currently off-limits to the vast majority of investors. Considering its stated goal of insulating itself from short-term pressures, the odds of it seeking a public offering in the near future are extremely unlikely. However, there are plenty of top IPO stocks and AI companies to keep on your radar.
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