diff --git a/simplexity/generative_processes/data_prefetcher.py b/simplexity/generative_processes/data_prefetcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f6b5a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simplexity/generative_processes/data_prefetcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""Background data prefetcher for overlapping data generation with training."""
+
+from collections.abc import Callable
+from concurrent.futures import Future, ThreadPoolExecutor
+from types import TracebackType
+
+
+class DataPrefetcher[T]:
+    """Prefetches training data in background threads to overlap with GPU training.
+
+    Uses a thread pool to generate upcoming batches while the current batch is being trained on.
+    This works because JAX JIT-compiled functions release the GIL, enabling genuine parallelism
+    between JAX data generation and PyTorch training.
+
+    Not thread-safe: ``prefetch``, ``get``, and ``shutdown`` should all be called from a single
+    thread. The background thread pool is managed internally.
+
+    Intended to be used as a context manager::
+
+        with DataPrefetcher(generate_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+            for step in range(num_steps):
+                batch = prefetcher.get(step)
+                train(batch)
+
+    Args:
+        generate_fn: A function that takes a step number (int) and returns batch data.
+        lookahead: Number of future steps to prefetch. Defaults to 1.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, generate_fn: Callable[[int], T], lookahead: int = 1) -> None:
+        self._generate_fn = generate_fn
+        self._lookahead = lookahead
+        self._executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=lookahead + 1)
+        self._futures: dict[int, Future[T]] = {}
+
+    def __enter__(self) -> "DataPrefetcher[T]":
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(
+        self,
+        exc_type: type[BaseException] | None,
+        exc_val: BaseException | None,
+        exc_tb: TracebackType | None,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.shutdown()
+
+    def prefetch(self, step: int) -> None:
+        """Submit a background task to generate data for the given step."""
+        if step not in self._futures:
+            self._futures[step] = self._executor.submit(self._generate_fn, step)
+
+    def get(self, step: int) -> T:
+        """Return the generated data for the given step, blocking until ready.
+
+        Also triggers prefetch for the next `lookahead` steps and cleans up old futures.
+        """
+        self.prefetch(step)
+        for s in range(step + 1, step + 1 + self._lookahead):
+            self.prefetch(s)
+        result = self._futures.pop(step).result()
+        old_keys = [k for k in self._futures if k < step]
+        for k in old_keys:
+            self._futures.pop(k).cancel()
+        return result
+
+    def shutdown(self) -> None:
+        """Cancel pending futures and shut down the thread pool."""
+        for future in self._futures.values():
+            future.cancel()
+        self._futures.clear()
+        self._executor.shutdown(wait=False, cancel_futures=True)
diff --git a/tests/generative_processes/test_data_prefetcher.py b/tests/generative_processes/test_data_prefetcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2de88c52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/generative_processes/test_data_prefetcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+"""Test the data prefetcher module."""
+
+import threading
+import time
+
+import pytest
+
+from simplexity.generative_processes.data_prefetcher import DataPrefetcher
+
+
+def test_get_returns_correct_result():
+    """Get should return the result of generate_fn called with the step number."""
+    with DataPrefetcher(lambda step: step * 10, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        assert prefetcher.get(0) == 0
+        assert prefetcher.get(5) == 50
+        assert prefetcher.get(100) == 1000
+
+
+def test_prefetch_submits_future():
+    """Prefetch should submit a future that can be retrieved by get without re-computation."""
+    call_count = 0
+
+    def counting_fn(step: int) -> int:
+        nonlocal call_count
+        call_count += 1
+        return step
+
+    with DataPrefetcher(counting_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        prefetcher.prefetch(0)
+        result = prefetcher.get(0)
+        assert result == 0
+        assert call_count == 1
+
+
+def test_lookahead_prefetches_future_steps():
+    """Get should trigger prefetch for the next lookahead steps."""
+    prefetcher = DataPrefetcher(lambda step: step, lookahead=2)
+    prefetcher.get(0)
+    assert 1 in prefetcher._futures  # noqa: SLF001  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+    assert 2 in prefetcher._futures  # noqa: SLF001  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+    prefetcher.shutdown()
+
+
+def test_get_cleans_up_old_futures():
+    """Get should not hold references to old step results after advancing."""
+    call_count = 0
+
+    def counting_fn(step: int) -> int:
+        nonlocal call_count
+        call_count += 1
+        return step
+
+    with DataPrefetcher(counting_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        prefetcher.prefetch(0)
+        prefetcher.prefetch(1)
+        prefetcher.get(2)
+        old_count = call_count
+        prefetcher.get(0)
+        assert call_count > old_count
+
+
+def test_error_propagation():
+    """Exceptions in generate_fn should be re-raised by get."""
+
+    def failing_fn(step: int) -> int:
+        raise ValueError(f"step {step} failed")
+
+    with DataPrefetcher(failing_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="step 3 failed"):
+            prefetcher.get(3)
+
+
+def test_shutdown_does_not_hang():
+    """Shutdown via context manager should return promptly even with pending futures."""
+
+    def slow_fn(step: int) -> int:
+        time.sleep(10)
+        return step
+
+    completed = threading.Event()
+
+    def run_shutdown():
+        with DataPrefetcher(slow_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+            prefetcher.prefetch(0)
+        completed.set()
+
+    t = threading.Thread(target=run_shutdown)
+    t.start()
+    assert completed.wait(timeout=2), "Shutdown blocked for over 2s"
+
+
+def test_context_manager_cleans_up_on_exception():
+    """Context manager should shut down the executor even if an exception occurs."""
+
+    def identity(step: int) -> int:
+        return step
+
+    prefetcher: DataPrefetcher[int] | None = None
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="boom"):
+        with DataPrefetcher(identity, lookahead=1) as p:
+            prefetcher = p
+            p.get(0)
+            raise RuntimeError("boom")
+
+    assert prefetcher is not None
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        prefetcher.prefetch(99)
+
+
+def test_generate_fn_runs_in_background_thread():
+    """Generate function should execute in a different thread than the caller."""
+    caller_thread = threading.current_thread().ident
+    gen_thread_id: int | None = None
+
+    def capture_thread(step: int) -> int:
+        nonlocal gen_thread_id
+        gen_thread_id = threading.current_thread().ident
+        return step
+
+    with DataPrefetcher(capture_thread, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        prefetcher.get(0)
+        assert gen_thread_id is not None
+        assert gen_thread_id != caller_thread
+
+
+def test_duplicate_prefetch_is_noop():
+    """Calling prefetch twice for the same step should not submit a second task."""
+    call_count = 0
+
+    def counting_fn(step: int) -> int:
+        nonlocal call_count
+        call_count += 1
+        return step
+
+    with DataPrefetcher(counting_fn, lookahead=1) as prefetcher:
+        prefetcher.prefetch(0)
+        prefetcher.prefetch(0)
+        prefetcher.get(0)
+        assert call_count == 1