Thursday, 17 September 2026 Sign in

Index in talks to lead $500m round for DeepMind researcher’s new AI lab

Sifted 12 August 2026, 16:43

Jack Parker-Holder, a Google DeepMind researcher involved in world models, is in talks to lead a new London AI lab he is building. The fundraise being discussed is $500m. If it proceeds, the startup would open a new London “neolab” with six other DeepMind researchers onboard.

Every AI story that matters,
in your inbox by 8am.

TLDRocket reads all relevant sources, removes duplicate coverage, and summarises the day in two minutes. Follow companies and topics for alerts, or get the briefing in Slack. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

TLDRocket 17 September 2026

The biggest throughline today is power—specifically, how AI systems are learning to live within the electric grid rather than treating it like an afterthought. Emerald AI, alongside Google, Nvidia, and Anthropic, formed the AI Energy Management Alliance to push utilities to treat demand-response load reductions as part of data-center planning. The pitch is bluntly practical: use grid software to unlock up to 100 gigawatts of additional data-center capacity by shifting demand temporarily, reducing reliance on backup generators even as new power generation still remains necessary.

Read the full briefing →

Index in talks to lead $500m round for DeepMind researcher’s new AI lab

Related stories

Every AI story that matters, in your inbox by 8am.

Every AI story that matters,
in your inbox by 8am.