Naveen Rao, who was formerly the head of artificial intelligence at Databricks, is in talks to raise $1 billion at a $5 billion valuation for a new startup called Unconventional, Inc., that’s building a new type of computer, according to four people familiar with discussions.
Andreessen Horowitz has agreed to lead the investment, and Lightspeed and Lux Capital are also participating in the deal, two of the sources said, although none of those VC firms responded to our request for comment. Databricks is also said to be investing in Rao’s new company, Bloomberg reported last month.
Rao has already raised hundreds of millions and plans to begin building the startup without waiting for the full $1 billion round to close, our sources said. He plans to raise the rest of the capital in installments, a funding approach commonly referred to as a “tranched” round.
Rao declined to comment, although he did publicly acknowledge the new startup on X last week, confirming its name and describing its hoped-for product as “rethinking the foundations of a computer to build a new substrate for intelligence that is as efficient as biology. Brain Scale Efficiency without the biological baggage!”
Hello world Unconventional, Inc.I’ve gotten a new company off the ground. It’s a big swing…rethinking the foundations of a computer to build a new substrate for intelligence that is as efficient as biology. Brain Scale Efficiency without the biological baggage!We CAN do it.…— Naveen Rao (@NaveenGRao) September 25, 2025
