Mira Murati, formerly the Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, announced that her new artificial intelligence startup, Thinking Machines Lab, has successfully raised $2 billion in a new round of funding at a $12 billion valuation, according to Reuters. Murati stated the company’s first product is expected to be unveiled “in the next couple months.”
Murati gained significant public attention in 2023 when she briefly served as interim CEO of OpenAI following Sam Altman’s temporary removal by the company’s board. She departed OpenAI in September and launched Thinking Machines Lab in February, keeping details about the new venture largely private until now.
In her first post on X since February, Murati confirmed that Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) led Thinking Machines’ funding round. Notable additional investors include Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Accel, ServiceNow, CISCO, and Jane Street.
Thinking Machines Lab is focused on building multimodal AI designed to be compatible with natural human interaction, including through conversation and sight. Murati articulated the company’s vision, stating, “We believe AI should serve as an extension of individual agency and, in the spirit of freedom, be distributed as widely and equitably as possible. We hope this vision resonates with those who share our commitment to advancing the field.”
The company’s inaugural product will incorporate an open-source component for researchers and other startups. Murati also indicated that Thinking Machines will soon “share our best science to help the research community better understand frontier AI systems.”
