Safe Superintelligence (SSI), an AI startup co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, is in talks to raise funds at a valuation of at least US$20 billion.

This information comes from sources familiar with the discussions and reflects an increase from the company’s US$5 billion valuation during its September funding round.

In September, SSI raised US$1 billion from investors including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and DST Global.

The potential fundraising follows intensified scrutiny in the AI sector due to the emergence of lower-cost AI models from the Chinese firm DeepSeek, which disrupted the market in January.

The fundraising discussions are still in early stages, with terms still being negotiated and no confirmation on the amount SSI aims to raise.

Founded in June 2024, SSI focus on developing “safe superintelligence” aligned with human needs.

Unlike OpenAI, which has seen major revenue growth, SSI prioritizes long-term progress over commercialization.