Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab closes on $2B at $10B valuation

Thinking Machines Lab, an enigmatic AI startup led by Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of OpenAI, has successfully completed a $2 billion seed funding round. This significant investment has positioned the young company, only six months old, at an impressive valuation of $10 billion. Details about the startup's specific projects remain largely undisclosed, but it has already garnered attention for attracting top-tier investors. Murati's established reputation in the AI sector, along with the expertise of other renowned AI researchers joining her team, has played a pivotal role in securing this monumental funding, which is poised to be one of the largest seed rounds ever recorded. The funding round was reportedly spearheaded by Andreessen Horowitz, with additional contributions from Sarah Guo's Conviction Partners. Murati, who departed OpenAI last September after overseeing the creation of groundbreaking AI products like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and voice mode, is now at the helm of this new venture. Notably, several former colleagues from OpenAI, including co-founder John Schulman, have also joined her at Thinking Machines Lab. Murati's exit from OpenAI came amid internal turmoil related to leadership concerns regarding CEO Sam Altman in 2023. Following a dramatic board decision to oust Altman in November of that year, Murati temporarily stepped in as interim CEO until Altman's swift reinstatement.