XAI CO-FOUNDER LAUNCHES PERSONALIZED AI STARTUP

AI DESK■ 1 MIN READ

THU, JUN 11, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

Igor Babuschkin, co-founder of Elon Musk's xAI, has launched a new startup focused on personalized artificial intelligence alongside former xAI employees. The venture represents the most prominent new company to emerge from recent departures at the AI research firm.

Babuschkin's team brings expertise from xAI, where the group contributed to the development of the company's AI models and infrastructure. The new startup targets the personalized AI space, a growing market segment focused on adapting AI systems to individual user needs and preferences. The departure marks part of a broader pattern at xAI, which has experienced staff turnover since its founding in 2023. Former employees have launched several ventures in the AI sector, reflecting increased entrepreneurial activity among researchers leaving the Musk-backed company. Details about the startup's funding, specific product roadmap, and timeline remain limited. The venture enters a competitive landscape where multiple companies are developing personalization technologies for AI assistants and language models.

■ SOURCES

► Bloomberg Tech

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

■ MORE FROM THE STARTUPS DESK

P687KOHO RAISES CA$130M AT CA$1.33B VALUATION

Canadian challenger bank Koho closed a Series E funding round of CA$130 million, valuing the fintech at CA$1.33 billion. The raise marks a 66% increase from its CA$800 million valuation in 2023, as the company approaches obtaining a full Canadian banking license.

1H AGO— AI Desk

P688NESTO RAISES CA$302M TO ACCELERATE MORTGAGE PLATFORM

Montreal-based fintech startup Nesto secured CA$302M in Series E funding at a CA$1.47B valuation. The capital will fund deployment of its AI-powered lending platform to streamline mortgage approvals.

1H AGO— AI Desk

P675THEKER RAISES $85M FOR MODULAR FACTORY ROBOTS

Theker secured $85 million in funding to develop reconfigurable factory robots that can adapt to multiple tasks, contrasting with fixed-form humanoid designs from competitors like Boston Dynamics.

5H AGO— AI Desk

P672ENGINEAI FILES FOR HONG KONG IPO

EngineAI, a Shenzhen-based humanoid robot manufacturer, has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering. The company was valued at $1.5 billion in April 2026.

5H AGO— AI Desk

◄ BACK TO NEWS

XAI CO-FOUNDER LAUNCHES PERSONALIZED AI STARTUP

■ MORE FROM THE STARTUPS DESK

■ SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF