Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12B Valuation in Seed Round
▼ Summary
– Thinking Machines Lab, founded by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, raised a $2 billion seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the startup at $12 billion.
– The funding round, one of the largest in Silicon Valley history, includes major investors like NVIDIA, Accel, and ServiceNow, reflecting strong interest in new AI labs.
– Murati hinted at an upcoming product launch in months, featuring a “significant open source offering” aimed at researchers and startups building custom AI models.
– The startup has attracted former OpenAI employees and is actively hiring talent experienced in developing AI-driven products from scratch.
– Despite competition from established AI labs like OpenAI and Google DeepMind, Thinking Machines Lab secured a Google Cloud deal and is seen as a potential challenger in the AI space.
Thinking Machines Lab, the artificial intelligence startup founded by OpenAI’s former CTO Mira Murati, has secured a staggering $2 billion in seed funding, catapulting its valuation to $12 billion. The investment round, led by Andreessen Horowitz, saw participation from major tech players including NVIDIA, Accel, ServiceNow, CISCO, AMD, and Jane Street. This marks one of the largest seed rounds in Silicon Valley history, underscoring the intense investor interest in next-generation AI ventures.
Reports from June suggested the company was nearing a $10 billion valuation, but the figure surged in recent weeks as additional backers joined. Despite its infancy, less than a year old, the startup has already attracted top talent, including former OpenAI researchers John Schulman, Barret Zoph, and Luke Metz.
Murati provided a glimpse into the company’s roadmap in a recent social media post, hinting at an upcoming product launch within months. The offering will reportedly include a major open-source component aimed at researchers and startups developing custom AI models. While details remain scarce, Murati emphasized the company’s mission to advance “collaborative general intelligence” through multimodal AI that mirrors human interaction.
Speculation swirls around whether Thinking Machines Lab will follow the path of other OpenAI competitors by releasing open models. A company spokesperson declined to elaborate, leaving the industry to speculate on its strategy.
The startup’s rapid ascent hasn’t gone unnoticed. Meta reportedly explored an acquisition to strengthen its AI ambitions, though discussions stalled before reaching a formal offer. With backing from tech giants and a growing team of AI veterans, Thinking Machines Lab is positioning itself as a formidable challenger to established players like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
Securing cloud infrastructure through a partnership with Google Cloud, the company appears poised to train cutting-edge AI models. Yet, competing in an arena where rivals pour billions into research won’t be easy. Murati’s success may hinge on groundbreaking innovations that differentiate her lab in an increasingly crowded field. For now, the AI community waits eagerly for the startup’s next move.
(Source: TechCrunch)
