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 lifelong curiosity about the nature of reality.
Envisioned as a new kind of research organization, we operate with the urgency and efficiency of a tech startup, combined with the openness and purpose of a non-profit - a model designed to accelerate discovery and push science toward its next great breakthroughs.
Reimagining scientific discovery by reshaping how science is done.
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Our Mission: Understand the Nature of Reality
We believe that the pursuit to understand the nature of reality - its underlying structure, governing principles, and origins - is one of humanity’s most meaningful efforts.
For as long as humans have existed, we’ve sought to understand the world around us - where we come from, what the universe is made of, how it began and why anything exists at all. This drive to explore and understand is one of humanity’s defining traits.
Science has taken us far, and what we now know about the universe is remarkable: the universe expands, time is relative, space curves, matter is made of quarks, light is both a wave and particle, and so much more.
Yet each breakthrough has opened new mysteries, and many foundational questions remain unanswered: What is the true nature of space and time? What is dark matter? Why is there more matter than antimatter? What happens at the center of a black hole? Can quantum mechanics and relativity be reconciled into a unified framework of reality?
Pushing the frontier of knowledge is what makes us human. This pursuit matters not just for science, but for how we think, what we build, and the future we shape together. FirstPrinciples exists to carry this pursuit forward with a singular mission: to understand the nature of reality.
To be curious is to be human. Science is how we give that curiosity form.
Our Vision
We envision a world where deeper understanding of the universe drives transformative progress across science, technology, and society.
A world where the pursuit of knowledge serves as 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.
Who We Are
We are a team on a mission to achieve our moonshot. That urgency shapes how we work: we move quickly, take bold risks, and learn fast.
Unlike traditional research organizations, we are AI-first by design and focused on reimagining the research process - turning discovery into something scalable, predictable and repeatable. We are creative in how we collaborate, and relentless in building smarter and faster ways to accelerate discovery.
Our team brings together scientists, engineers, and builders to develop the AI Physicist - a system designed to transform how research is done and enable breakthroughs at an unprecedented scale.
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.