About Us
A new kind of research organization
Our Story
FirstPrinciples is a non-profit organization established in 2024 by Ildar Shar, who combines entrepreneurial experience in the tech industry with a deep curiosity about the nature of reality.
Envisioned as a new kind of research organization, FirstPrinciples is AI-first, mission-driven, and focused on building technology to support scientific discovery.
We are independent, operate across borders, and bring together researchers, engineers, and applied scientists to work on foundational problems.
Our Mission: Understand the Nature of Reality
We believe that the pursuit to understand the nature of reality — its underlying structure, building blocks, governing principles, and origins — is one of humanity’s most meaningful efforts.
It’s remarkable how much we’ve uncovered about the universe we live in, and our place within it.
Despite tremendous scientific progress over the last few centuries, many foundational questions remain unanswered: What is the true nature of space and time? Why does the universe exist? How can we reconcile the foundations of modern physics? Is there a unified framework that explains all of reality? And many more.
Pushing the frontier of knowledge is what makes us human. It matters not just for science, but for how we think, what we build, and how we shape the future course of humanity.
Our Vision
We envision a world where understanding the universe’s fundamental building blocks drives transformative progress across science, technology, and society.
A world where the pursuit of knowledge becomes a unifying force — connecting people across borders, disciplines, and generations.
Where deeper understanding leads to wiser decisions, more powerful tools, and a more open, creative, and connected society.
What We're Building
Unlike traditional institutions, we focus on developing tangible, purpose-driven technology. We are currently building an AI Physicist designed to support deeper exploration and large-scale reasoning in science.
Our goal is to create a research platform that goes beyond analyzing existing knowledge: one that can ask deep scientific questions, reason across domains, and accelerate the generation of new ideas.
By combining large language models, symbolic reasoning, and autonomous research capabilities, we aim to transform how knowledge is discovered — and help move science toward its next breakthroughs.
Our Team
We’re a team of engineers, scientists, and builders working at the intersection of AI and fundamental science.
We operate like a startup - moving with urgency, iterating quickly, and working as one team to build an AI Physicist.
We’re not driven by commercial goals, but by the pursuit of deeper understanding and our ambition to help uncover the fundamental laws of nature.
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Values
Curiosity
We foster a relentless curiosity that drives us to explore the unknown and push the boundaries of understanding.
Ambition
We dare to dream big and aim for ambitious goals, challenging ourselves to achieve more than we ever thought possible.
Risk Taking
We embrace risks, knowing that innovation often requires stepping into the unknown and being unafraid of failure.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of collaboration, working together across disciplines and borders to achieve our shared vision.
Results-driven
We are committed to making a positive impact for all of humanity, driving our work towards tangible results that benefit people worldwide.