Bezos leads $72m investment in AI data firm Toloka

• Published On: 08 May 2025 at 07:28

Jeff Bezos' personal investment firm, Bezos Expeditions, is leading a $72 million funding round for Toloka, an artificial intelligence data solutions company looking to grow its presence in the United States and around the world, the company stated on Wednesday.

Toloka, a subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed Nebius Group, trains and evaluates AI models using a global network of human experts and testers. Major technology companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Anthropic have used its services.

Olga Megorskaya, the company's founder and CEO, says the investment is a significant milestone. "This strategic backing will help us accelerate growth, especially in the U.S., and further develop our AI-human collaboration tools," she told the news organization. "There will always be a need for human oversight to ensure the quality of AI outputs."

Nebius, based in Amsterdam, was founded following a $5.4 billion restructuring agreement last year that divided Russian internet giant Yandex's domestic and foreign operations. The sale was the largest business exodus from Russia since the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, allowing Nebius and its subsidiaries, such as Toloka, to seek external capital that had previously been barred by sanctions.

Bezos' involvement highlights the growing investor interest in AI infrastructure. Other noteworthy investors include Mikhail Parakhin, Shopify's Chief Technology Officer, who will serve as executive chairman of Toloka's board. Parakhin told reporters that he was "excited to support Toloka at a time when the need for world-class AI data expertise is greater than ever."

While Nebius will remain a key economic shareholder in Toloka, it has given up majority voting control, giving the company more autonomy. "The important thing about this round is that we gained the needed flexibility to operate independently," Megorskaya told Reuters.

She also stated that Toloka plans to raise further funds as company grows.

Last year, Nebius received considerable funding, including a $700 million private placement with assistance from American chipmaker Nvidia.