Prentis, a new AI research lab co-founded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga founder Marc Pincus, is in talks to raise $100 million. The lab is focused on automating routine computer tasks as the next major frontier for AI applications.
Prentis represents a shift in how AI startups are approaching the technology's commercial potential. Rather than focusing primarily on code generation—the current dominant use case—the lab is betting that automating repetitive digital workflows will become AI's biggest value driver.
The lab brings together two veterans of consumer tech and gaming. Hoffman has been active in AI investment through Greylock Partners, while Pincus previously founded Zynga before its acquisition by Take-Two Interactive.
The $100 million funding round signals investor confidence in the automation-focused approach. Task automation addresses a broad market need across enterprises, from customer service to data processing and administrative functions.
Prentis joins a crowded field of AI labs backed by prominent entrepreneurs, though its specific focus on routine task automation distinguishes it from generalist AI research efforts and coding-focused tools that have dominated recent headlines.
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