Meta Stock: AI Godfather Exits for €3 Billion Superintelligence Startup

TLDR

• Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist and Turing Award winner, is leaving to start Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs with a €3 billion valuation
• The startup is raising €500 million and will focus on superintelligent AI using visual learning instead of traditional data-heavy methods
• Meta will partner with LeCun’s venture without investing, gaining commercial access to new AI technologies
• BofA Securities keeps its $810 price target on Meta despite the stock’s 11% gain trailing the Nasdaq’s 18% increase this year
• Meta’s 2026 LLM launch and expense guidance are viewed as key upcoming catalysts for the stock

Meta shares moved higher after Yann LeCun, the company’s chief AI scientist, revealed plans for a new artificial intelligence startup valued at €3 billion. LeCun will leave Meta at the end of 2025 to launch Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs.

Meta Platforms, Inc., META

The AI researcher is seeking €500 million in funding for the venture. LeCun won the Turing Award and is considered one of the founding figures of modern artificial intelligence. He plans to announce full details about Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs in January 2026.

Alexandre LeBrun will serve as chief executive of the new company. LeBrun founded French health tech startup Nabla and previously worked as an AI research engineer at Facebook. Nabla builds AI tools that help doctors save time on patient notes and prescriptions.

New Approach to AI Development

LeCun’s startup will work on superintelligent AI systems using a different method than current approaches. The company will develop “world models” that train machines through visual learning rather than feeding them enormous amounts of data.

This technique aims to give machines human-level intelligence through a more efficient learning process. The approach represents a fresh direction in AI research compared to standard methods used by most companies today.

Meta won’t put money into LeCun’s startup but will form a partnership instead. This deal lets Meta access and commercialize technologies that Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs creates. The arrangement helps Meta compete with rivals like Alphabet without direct investment.

Analyst Views on Meta Stock

BofA Securities kept its Buy rating on Meta with an $810 price target. The firm pointed to AI potential as support for its bullish view. Meta stock gained 11% this year but trailed the Nasdaq’s 18% rise and Alphabet’s 56% surge during the same period.

Meta’s 2026 earnings per share estimates climbed 16% since the start of 2025. However, the stock’s price-to-earnings multiple dropped in the second half of 2025. Investors worried about AI spending and 2026 operating expenses.

BofA identified Meta’s 2026 expense guidance as a near-term catalyst. The firm also highlighted Meta’s large language model launch planned for the first half of 2026. These events could move the stock.

AI Investment Focus

Investors are tracking Meta’s AI spending and potential returns across its apps, advertising business, and new ventures. The company invested heavily in LLM development without building a licensing revenue model.

Citizens maintained a Market Outperform rating with a $900 price target on Meta. Piper Sandler kept an Overweight rating at $840 and called Meta its top large-cap choice.

Meta recently upgraded its AI glasses software with better conversation features in loud environments and Spotify connectivity. The company is testing Instagram Reels on Amazon Fire TV devices for U.S. users.

LeCun’s startup will reveal its full funding details and operational plans in January 2026.

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