Safe Superintelligence is an AI start-up launched in June 2024 by OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever; Daniel Gross, who previously led artificial intelligence (AI) projects at Apple (AAPL -0.55%); and former OpenAI chief scientist Daniel Levy.
Sutskever was pivotal in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's five-day ouster from the company in November 2023, though he's since expressed regret. Sutskever announced his departure from OpenAI in May 2024. Sutskever announced he would take over as CEO of Safe Superintelligence in July 2024, following the departure of Gross, who previously served as the company's chief executive.
On its website, Safe Superintelligence says it has a single goal and mission, which is to build -- you guessed it -- a safe superintelligence. In AI parlance, superintelligence refers to an AI that doesn't yet exist but would have intellectual capabilities that surpass human intelligence. Sutskever hasn't offered many details about what a safe superintelligence would look like.
However, he told Bloomberg in a 2024 interview that it "will not harm humanity at a large scale." Sutskever also said, "We would like to be operating on top of some key values ... Some of the values we were thinking about are maybe the values that have been so successful in the past few hundred years that underpin liberal democracies, like liberty, democracy, freedom."
Sutskever has declined to identify the company's investors or how much money it has raised. Safe Superintelligence's website says the company has offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel. The company is currently "assembling a lean, cracked team of the world's best engineers and researchers dedicated to focusing on SSI [safe superintelligence] and nothing else."
Though investing in Safe Superintelligence isn't currently possible, we'll tell you how to invest in other companies making significant strides in AI.
Publicly traded?
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.
IPO
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 0.52%)(GOOGL 0.46%), along with Nvidia (NVDA -0.85%) and several major venture capital firms, is reportedly among its investors.
How to invest
How to buy Safe Superintelligence stock
Since it's not a publicly traded company, it's not currently possible to invest in Safe Superintelligence. However, here are three alternative AI companies to consider.
Microsoft
Microsoft (MSFT -0.4%) is perhaps the biggest publicly traded player in the AI space thanks to its multibillion-dollar stake in OpenAI. The companies' partnership allows Microsoft to use OpenAI models in its products, while Microsoft Azure provides the infrastructure for OpenAI. The tech giant's AI investment has pushed Microsoft's valuation above the $3 trillion mark.
Upstart
Upstart (UPST 0.45%) uses machine learning to assess the likelihood that a borrower will default on a loan. Its models are trained on more than 86 million monthly repayment events and add more than 85,000 new events every business day.
The company says its models can more accurately predict risk than traditional credit scores and also result in higher approval rates and lower interest rates for borrowers. However, there's the caveat that the company was only founded in 2012, so we don't know what default rates would look like during a prolonged recession.
It is currently unprofitable, and its share price as of July 2025 was down about 80% from all-time highs. But if you're optimistic about the potential uses of AI in finance, the beaten-down stock could be worthy of a look.
Nvidia
Nvidia got its start designing chips for video game graphics and eventually became a leading producer of graphics processing units (GPUs). But early artificial intelligence researchers discovered that GPUs were superior to central processing units (CPUs) at training AI systems. As a result, Nvidia got a first-mover advantage before most of the world was thinking about AI.
Today, Nvidia chips power OpenAI's ChatGPT and the AI tools of practically every leading big tech company. In July 2025, Nvidia briefly became the first company in history to reach a valuation of $4 trillion.
To invest in one of the three companies listed above (or any publicly traded company), follow these steps:
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Profitability
Is Safe Superintelligence 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.
Should I invest?
Should I invest in Safe Superintelligence?
Safe Superintelligence stock is not available for retail investors to buy, but there are plenty of publicly traded companies in the AI space. Investing in AI isn't for everyone, though.
Consider adding AI stocks to your portfolio if:
- You want a high-risk, high-reward investment.
- You believe AI has the power to transform virtually every industry.
- You're comfortable with short-term volatility and plan to hold on to your shares for several years or more.
- You're looking for more exposure to tech stocks.
- You believe AI is still in its nascent stages and has plenty of runway.
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
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 of investing in Safe Superintelligence:
- 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 of investing in Safe Superintelligence:
- 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.
ETF options
ETFs with exposure to Safe Superintelligence
Since Safe Superintelligence isn't publicly traded, you won't find ETFs with exposure to the company. However, here are three ETFs that can help you capitalize on similar investment themes:
Invesco QQQ Trust ETF
The Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ -0.44%) tracks the 100 largest nonfinancial stocks on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Investing in the fund gives you exposure to some of the largest players in the AI space, including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon (AMZN -0.0%). The QQQ's expense ratio is 0.2%, which means you'd pay $2 in fees on a $1,000 investment.
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
If you're looking for a fund that focuses specifically on AI, consider the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ -0.02%). The fund's 86 holdings are companies that stand to benefit from increased adoption of AI technology, as well as those that produce hardware used for AI. Its expense ratio is 0.68%, which translates to $6.80 in fees on a $1,000 investment.
iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF
The iShares Robotics Intelligence and Multisector ETF (ARTY -0.05%) provides exposure to 49 companies leading the AI revolution, including those involved in generative AI, AI data and infrastructure, and AI-related software and services. Its expense ratio is 0.47%, which means you'd pay $4.70 in fees if you invested $1,000.
Related investing topics
The bottom line on Safe Superintelligence
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.
FAQ
Investing in Safe Superintelligence FAQ
Who are the investors in Safe Superintelligence?
After a September 2024 funding round, Safe Superintelligence said on its website that investors include venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, SV Angel, and NFDG (co-founded by former Safe Superintelligence CEO Daniel Gross. Google and Nvidia have also reportedly invested in the start-up.
Who is the founder of Safe Superintelligence?
Safe Superintelligence's founders are Ilya Sutskever, who co-founded OpenAI and pushed for CEO Sam Altman's ouster, Daniel Gross, who headed AI and search for Apple from 2013 to 2017, and Daniel Levy, former OpenAI chief scientist.
Does OpenAI own Safe Superintelligence?
No, OpenAI doesn't own Safe Superintelligence, but two of Safe Superintelligence's co-founders are OpenAI veterans.
What is the valuation of Safe Superintelligence?
Safe Superintelligence's second funding round in mid-2025 valued the company at $32 billion, about a sixfold increase from its first funding round that was completed in 2024.
Did Alphabet and Nvidia invest in Safe Superintelligence?
Reuters reported that Alphabet and Nvidia have both invested in Safe Superintelligence, although the start-up hasn't confirmed these reports as of July 2025. Google Cloud also announced that it has an agreement to sell Safe Superintelligence its proprietary AI chips that are designed for machine learning.
