Status and Structure
Prio1 Foundation is a planned independent foundation. Until formal registration, operations and payments are handled by Prio1 Ltd (Prio1 Oy, Finland).
Quick summary
Prio1 Foundation is not yet a registered legal entity.
The work is currently operated through Prio1 Ltd (Prio1 Oy, Finland) while funding and administrative prerequisites are secured.
All memberships and payments are made to Prio1 Ltd at this stage.
Funds are reserved solely for establishing the foundation and funding the research program.
Prio1 Foundation will be established no later than when total funding reaches USD 100,000.
What this means in practice
Prio1 Foundation (planned)
Prio1 Foundation is the intended long term structure for an independent public interest research mission focused on advanced AI societal risk, including the conditions for human continuity if prevention fails.
Because Prio1 Foundation is not yet formally registered, it cannot currently enter contracts, hold funds, or operate systems in its own name.
Prio1 Ltd (current operator)
Until formal registration, the website, publications, public formats, memberships, and funding flows are operated by Prio1 Ltd (Prio1 Oy, Finland).
This structure exists to make the work possible now while keeping the public description accurate. It is not meant to blur the distinction between a planned foundation and an operating company.
Why operations are currently run through a company
Establishing a foundation requires funding, governance preparation, and administrative capacity. Running early operations through an existing legal entity allows Prio1 Foundation’s work to begin immediately and transparently while those prerequisites are met.
This is an incubation structure. The intent is to transition to an independent foundation once the foundation can be formally created and responsibly operated.
Funding and financial commitment
What funds are used for
All funds are reserved for two purposes only:
Establishing Prio1 Foundation as an independent foundation
Funding Prio1 Foundation’s research and publication work
Prio1 Foundation’s work is designed as a public interest effort. The funding model is built to support independent research and transparency rather than commercial products.
Foundation establishment threshold
Prio1 Foundation will be established no later than when total funding reaches USD 100,000.
Payments and membership
Supporting Membership is live now. Payments are processed through the site and handled by Prio1 Ltd (Prio1 Oy, Finland) until formal registration of the foundation.
Supporting Membership is mission support, not a premium content subscription.
Read more: Support
Planned transition to an independent foundation
When Prio1 Foundation is formally established, the intent is to transition the work from Prio1 Ltd to the foundation as the primary operating entity.
This transition is intended to include, where legally and practically possible:
foundation governance and independent oversight
the research program and publication mission under the foundation’s mandate
public communication and transparency channels
membership and community operations under the foundation’s structure
updated public documentation reflecting the new legal status
Details will be published once foundation formation and governance are finalized.
Governance and independence
Prio1 Foundation is intended to be independent in mission and governance. Until the foundation exists, responsibility and decision making sit with Prio1 Ltd as the operating entity.
The foundation stage is intended to include:
a defined governance structure
clear mission scope and operating principles
safeguards for independence and conflict of interest handling
a stable structure for long horizon research funding
Read more: Operating Principles
Transparency standards
Prio1 Foundation’s public work is built around method driven publication and transparency about assumptions, scope, and uncertainty.
This applies regardless of legal stage:
publications are produced under defined methods
limitations and uncertainty are stated explicitly
materials are versioned when updated
operational instructions for wrongdoing are not published
Read more: Publications
Questions or verification
If you are a journalist, policymaker, researcher, or institutional funder and need clarification about the current structure, contact us.