Former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati Secures $2 Billion Investment for AI Startup Thinking Machines
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI), a new player has emerged as a major contender in 2025. Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup founded by Mira Murati, a former executive at OpenAI, has made significant strides since its inception in February 2025.
Based in San Francisco, Thinking Machines Lab operates as a public benefit corporation, focusing on building "multimodal" AI systems designed for wider applications and greater safety compared to existing offerings.
### Funding and Valuation
In July 2025, the company secured an impressive seed funding round of approximately $2 billion, one of the largest ever in Silicon Valley. The round was led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from tech giants such as Nvidia, Cisco, and even the government of Albania, Murati's country of origin, which invested $10 million. This funding valued the company between $10 billion and $12 billion, with some sources reporting a $12 billion valuation.
### Team and Leadership
Thinking Machines Lab quickly assembled a strong team of around 30 researchers and engineers from top AI organizations, including OpenAI, Meta AI, and Mistral AI. Key founding members include OpenAI cofounder John Schulman, and former OpenAI researchers Jonathan Lachman and Barret Zoph. Notable advisers include Bob McGrew and Alec Radford, both formerly of OpenAI.
### Product Plans and Research
Mira Murati announced that the company's first product will be released in the coming months. This product will include a significant open source component, aiming to be useful for researchers and startups developing custom AI models. Additionally, Thinking Machines Lab plans to share its best scientific work to advance understanding of frontier AI systems with the research community.
### Governance
The company's structure grants Murati a deciding vote on board matters, and gives founding shareholders votes weighted 100 times greater than regular shareholders, giving strong control to the founders.
### Partnerships and Investors
The funding round involved prominent investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, and Cisco, indicating strategic partnerships with leading technology companies.
With a star-studded team, ambitious plans for innovative multimodal AI products, and a focus on openness and research collaboration, Thinking Machines Lab is poised to make a significant impact in the AI industry. Their seed round funding and valuation mark them as one of the most highly valued AI startups in Silicon Valley.
- Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup founded by Mira Murati, had secured a seed funding round of approximately $2 billion in July 2025, one of the largest ever in Silicon Valley, with the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz leading the round.
- The funding valued the company between $10 billion and $12 billion, with some sources reporting a $12 billion valuation, making Thinking Machines Lab one of the most highly valued AI startups in Silicon Valley.
- Mira Murati, the founder of Thinking Machines Lab, announced that the company's first product will include a significant open source component, aiming to be useful for researchers and startups developing custom AI models.
- The company's structure grants Murati a deciding vote on board matters, and gives founding shareholders votes weighted 100 times greater than regular shareholders, giving strong control to the founders.
- Prominent investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, and Cisco, who participated in the funding round, indicate strategic partnerships with leading technology companies for Thinking Machines Lab.
