Toloka is part of Nebius Group, an AI infrastructure firm listed on Nasdaq. Notably, Nebius emerged from a substantial $5.4 billion deal finalized last year, which separated the domestic and international assets of the Russian internet giant Yandex. This corporate restructuring marked the largest exit from Russia since the onset of the Ukraine invasion in 2022. Toloka boasts an impressive clientele, having collaborated with major players in the tech industry, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Anthropic.
Olga Megorskaya, the founder and CEO of Toloka, hailed the strategic investment led by Bezos as a pivotal moment for the company. She anticipates that this capital infusion will significantly accelerate Toloka's growth trajectory, particularly within the crucial U.S. market. Furthermore, the investment will bolster the company's efforts in developing innovative products that leverage the synergy between human expertise and AI agents.
Megorskaya emphasized the enduring importance of human oversight in the realm of artificial intelligence. "There will always be the need for control, verification, and help from human experts to ensure that the result is actually of high quality," she told Reuters, underscoring the critical role of human judgment in maintaining the integrity of AI outputs.
Prior to its separation from Yandex, Nebius faced considerable hurdles in attracting external investment, especially from U.S.-based entities like Bezos Expeditions, due to sanctions that restricted American investments in Russia. The successful completion of the asset split has seemingly paved the way for this significant international backing.
Interestingly, chip giant Nvidia was among the investors who participated in a substantial $700 million private placement raised by Nebius in late 2024, indicating a broader interest in the AI infrastructure space.
Adding further weight to this funding round, Mikhail Parakhin, the Chief Technology Officer of Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify, is also participating in the investment. Nebius announced that Parakhin will assume the role of executive chairman on Toloka’s newly formed board of directors.
Parakhin expressed his enthusiasm about joining Toloka at this critical juncture, stating that the demand for top-tier AI data expertise has never been more pressing.
While Bezos Expeditions has yet to issue an official comment, Nebius clarified its future relationship with Toloka. The AI infrastructure firm will continue to be a shareholder, retaining a significant majority economic stake in Toloka. However, it will relinquish majority voting control, granting Toloka greater autonomy in its operations and strategic decisions.
“The important thing about this round is that we gained the needed flexibility to operate independently,” Megorskaya affirmed, highlighting the strategic importance of this newfound independence for Toloka's future endeavors.
Looking ahead, Megorskaya indicated that Toloka anticipates pursuing another round of investment in the future, signaling the company's ambition for continued expansion and innovation in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.