Zuckerberg, Milner, Brin and Other Tech Titans Donate Millions to Science (updated)

The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation is a non-profit organization drummed up by a handful of tech billionaires.

The prize aims to spur innovation in the field of science research and is backed by tech luminaries including Russian entrepreneur and venture capitalist Yuri Milner, who reached out to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin months ago to talk about launching the foundation. Art Levinson, Apple chairman and former CEO of Genentech, will act as the chairman of the board for the foundation. The first round of prize recipients includes 11 scientists from a range of research disciplines, including studies in genetics, cancer research and neural behavior. Each of the 11 prize winners will receive a $3 million award for their work, and Brin, Zuckerberg, Milner and the rest of the sponsors have agreed to a five-year commitment to awarding prizes.

Update:

Meet The 11 Scientists Getting $33 Million From Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, And The Silicon Valley Elite (Fast Company)