Story of Cohere : Founder and CEO - Aidan Gomez
Story of Cohere
Early Life in Ontario
Aidan Gomez grew up in Brighton, Ontario, where his
curiosity about computers and problem-solving shaped much of his early years.
From a young age, he showed a deep interest in mathematics and programming,
setting the stage for what would become a groundbreaking career in artificial
intelligence. His journey into higher education began in Canada, where he chose
to pursue computer science seriously.
University of Toronto Years
In 2013, Aidan enrolled at the University of Toronto,
studying computer science and mathematics. His performance stood out, and he
graduated with distinction in 2018. During these years, he built strong
foundations in both theory and practice, which would later fuel his ability to
innovate in the field of machine learning and natural language processing.
Breakthrough at Google Brain
While still a student, Aidan secured an internship at Google
Brain in 2017. At just 20 years old, he co-authored the now-famous paper “Attention
Is All You Need”. This paper introduced the Transformer architecture,
which revolutionized machine learning by allowing models to process large
amounts of data more efficiently. This work became the backbone of modern AI,
including systems like ChatGPT.
Academic Pursuits in Oxford
After completing his undergraduate studies, Aidan moved to
the University of Oxford in 2018 to begin his PhD in computer science.
He was awarded the prestigious Clarendon Scholarship. Although he paused
his studies to launch his startup, he eventually returned and completed the
degree in 2024. His time at Oxford strengthened his research skills and exposed
him to a global academic network.
Building Research Communities
In addition to his academic work, Aidan co-founded FOR.ai
in 2017, a collaborative program aimed at helping researchers share knowledge
about machine learning. This initiative later evolved into Cohere For AI,
a community-driven platform supporting open research. His efforts demonstrated
his commitment to making AI knowledge more accessible and collaborative.
Founding Cohere
In 2019, Aidan left Google Brain and co-founded Cohere
in Toronto along with Ivan Zhang and Nick Frosst. The company’s mission was to
build large language models that could be deployed in real-world business
settings. Instead of focusing on consumer products, Cohere targeted
enterprises, offering tools like Command (for text generation), Embed
(for text embeddings), and Rerank (for improving search relevance).
Rapid Growth and Adoption
Cohere quickly gained traction as businesses sought
practical ways to use AI. By offering ready-to-use natural language processing
solutions, Cohere allowed companies to adopt advanced AI without needing to
build their own models. The company’s reputation grew steadily, and by 2023, it
had millions of users worldwide.
Story of Cohere : Founder and CEO - Aidan Gomez#startup#AI story#age#net worth#investor#Aidan Gomez story# Cohere AI story#entrepreneur#life story
Recognition and Influence
In 2023, Aidan was named to the Time 100/AI list as
one of the most influential people in artificial intelligence. Alongside his
co-founders, he was also ranked number one on Maclean’s AI Trailblazers
Power List. These recognitions highlighted both his technical contributions
and his leadership in shaping the future of AI.
Unicorn Status and Expansion
By mid-2024, Cohere had raised $500 million in a
Series D round, reaching a valuation of $5.5 billion. With total funding
of $942.9 million, the company established itself as a major player in
enterprise AI. Cohere’s monthly visitors grew to over 636,000, and its search
growth exploded by 880% in just five years, reflecting its growing influence in
the AI ecosystem.
Leadership and Future Vision
In April 2025, Aidan was elected to the board of Rivian,
showing how his expertise was valued beyond just AI companies. As CEO of
Cohere, his vision remains clear: to make massive neural networks more
efficient and useful for businesses worldwide. With Cohere’s cutting-edge
models and Aidan’s leadership, the company continues to push forward the
frontier of natural language AI.
Timeline of Aidan Gomez & Cohere
- 1990s–2013:
Childhood in Brighton, Ontario.
- 2013–2018:
University of Toronto (Computer Science & Math, graduated with
distinction).
- 2017:
Intern at Google Brain; co-authored “Attention Is All You Need”.
- 2017:
Founded FOR.ai (later Cohere For AI).
- 2018–2024:
PhD studies at Oxford (Clarendon Scholar, completed in 2024).
- 2019:
Co-founded Cohere in Toronto.
- 2020–2023:
Cohere grows as an enterprise AI provider.
- 2023:
Named to Time 100/AI and Maclean’s AI Trailblazers list.
- 2024:
Raised $500M, reached $5.5B valuation; unicorn status.
- 2025:
Elected to Rivian board; continues leading Cohere’s global AI mission.
