Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Raises $2B at $12B Valuation
In one of the most significant startup deals in Silicon Valley history, Thinking Machines Lab—founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati—has raised $2 billion in a record-setting seed round. The round, led by Andreessen Horowitz and joined by tech giants like NVIDIA, Accel, ServiceNow, AMD, and CISCO, has propelled the company’s valuation to a stunning $12 billion. For a startup that hasn’t even launched its first product, this funding round shows the intense investor belief in Murati’s vision. But what exactly is Thinking Machines Lab, and why is it attracting such extraordinary backing in the highly competitive artificial intelligence space?
Image Credits:Patrick Fallon/AFP
Why Thinking Machines Lab Is Drawing Global Attention
The surge of interest in Thinking Machines Lab lies in Mira Murati’s reputation and a larger narrative in AI development. After helping steer OpenAI into the global spotlight, Murati is now leveraging her experience to build a new kind of AI lab. According to her recent posts, the company’s mission is to develop collaborative general intelligence—AI that understands and interacts with the world through natural modalities like vision, speech, and human collaboration. Though the company has remained secretive about product details, Murati hinted at an open-source AI release in the coming months aimed at empowering startups and researchers. The promise of transparency and openness, combined with cutting-edge multimodal AI research, is a bold move that sets Thinking Machines Lab apart from incumbents like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
Backers, Talent, and an Edge in Frontier AI Research
A $2 billion seed round from top-tier venture firms and strategic partners indicates far more than just capital—it signals strategic alignment. Investors such as Jane Street and hardware leaders like NVIDIA and AMD aren’t just bringing money; they’re offering computational infrastructure, research networks, and market confidence. Beyond investors, Murati has assembled a powerhouse team that includes former OpenAI colleagues like John Schulman, Barret Zoph, and Luke Metz—names associated with key breakthroughs in AI. With plans to scale rapidly, the company is actively recruiting experts who have built successful AI-driven products, positioning itself as a magnet for elite AI talent.
The Future of Thinking Machines Lab in a Crowded AI Race
Despite the hype, Thinking Machines Lab faces intense competition. Incumbents like Meta, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind are investing billions in R&D and infrastructure to dominate the future of AI. Meta even reportedly considered acquiring Thinking Machines Lab earlier this year to strengthen its superintelligence efforts. While no deal materialized, that interest underscores how strategically significant Murati’s startup has become. The company’s recent cloud partnership with Google Cloud further signals its intent to go toe-to-toe with the AI elite. If Murati’s lab can deliver on its promise of novel open-source AI models and breakthrough science, it could redefine what it means to build transparent and collaborative AI in 2025 and beyond.
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