[Infowarrior] - Google to Buy Artificial Intelligence Startup DeepMind for $400M

[Richard Forno]

Exclusive: Google to Buy Artificial Intelligence Startup DeepMind for $400M

January 26, 2014, 4:25 PM PST

By Liz Gannes

http://recode.net/2014/01/26/exclusive-google-to-buy-artificial-intelligence-startup-deepmind-for-400m/

Google is shelling out $400 million to buy a secretive artificial intelligence company called DeepMind.

After Re/code inquired about the deal, Google confirmed that it was happening but declined to specify the price.

Based in London, DeepMind was founded by games prodigy and neuroscientist Demis Hassabis, Skype and Kazaa developer Jaan Tallin and researcher Shane Legg.

This is in large part an artificial intelligence talent acquisition, and Google CEO Larry Page led the deal himself, sources said. According to online bios, Hassabis in particular is quite the brain, a child prodigy in chess who was later called “probably the best games player in history” by the Mind Sports Olympiad.

DeepMind has just a landing page for a website, on which says it builds learning algorithms for simulations, e-commerce and games. Profiles on LinkedIn indicate the company is about three years old.

Sources said Founders Fund is a major investor in DeepMind, along with Horizons Ventures.


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