Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Raises $2 Billion for Thinking Machines Lab

Technology

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati has just made headlines again. On July 15, 2025, her AI startup at Thinking Machines Lab closed a massive $2 billion seed round, securing its place as one of the largest early-stage funding rounds ever.

The company now holds an impressive $12 billion valuation, and the investment marks a major milestone in Mira’s journey since leaving OpenAI.

What Is Thinking Machines Lab and Who’s Behind It?

Thinking Machines Lab is a San Francisco–based startup launched in February 2025 by Mira Murati and other former OpenAI talents, including John Schulman, Barrett Zoph, Lilian Weng, Andrew Tulloch, and Luke Metz. The goal is to build truly multimodal AI systems that can work with humans through speech, vision, text, and shared context.

What Is Thinking Machines Lab Trying to Build?

Mira Murati and her team want to create something called Collaborative General Intelligence (CGI). This means building AI that can work with people, not against them.

The company believes AI should be open, easy to use, and fair for everyone. That’s why Thinking Machines Lab plans to make all their tools open-source, so developers around the world can improve them and use them safely.

Why Did Thinking Machines Raise That Much So Early?

Investors see tremendous promise in the team. With deep expertise from leading AI projects like ChatGPT and DALL·E, this group brings both technical depth and leadership . In addition, the startup has already attracted heavyweight backers like Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, AMD, Cisco, Accel, ServiceNow, and Jane Street.

This funding confirms a wider trend: investors increasingly back execution-focused AI teams over speculative moonshots.

How Will This Impact the AI Industry?

  • Surges in AI valuations: The $12 billion valuation is record-breaking for a startup at such an early stage, showing how hot the AI investment space remains .
  • Many AI Experts Are Joining the Team: Many former OpenAI colleagues have rallied around Murati, indicating a shift in AI leadership.
  • New product ahead: Murati says the first multimodal AI product will drop in “a couple of months” and will include an open‑source component for broader use by researchers and startups.

Will Thinking Machines Compete with OpenAI and Google?

Yes, many experts believe Thinking Machines Lab could become a big competitor to OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and Mistral AI.

But Mira Murati says her company is different. Instead of creating AI that replaces people, they want to build AI that works alongside humans, like a helpful partner or assistant.

How Will the $2 Billion Be Used?

The funding will go toward:

  • Hiring top AI engineers and researchers
  • Building large open-source language models
  • Creating safe tools that developers can use freely
  • Developing new hardware that supports powerful AI
  • Ensuring the company follows ethical AI practices

They want to move fast but still keep safety and fairness as their top priority.

What Did Mira Murati Say Publicly?

In her X post on July 15, Murati shared:

“Soon we’ll share our first product… a significant open‑source component… useful for researchers and startups developing custom models… best science to help the community understand frontier AI systems.” 

This confirms the company’s focus on collaboration, openness, and democratizing access to advanced AI.

Why Did Mira Murati Leave OpenAI?

Murati was one of the top leaders at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. She played a key role in building safe and useful AI systems.

But she left in May 2025 to start her journey. Many say she wanted to create a more open and transparent kind of AI, which is different from the direction OpenAI is currently taking.

Investor and Analyst Responses

  • Reuters highlighted the milestone funding and the fact that two-thirds of the team are ex‑OpenAI, showing investor trust in deep experience.
  • A16z and Nvidia ties point to ecosystem support, with access to chips and useful infrastructure .
  • TechCrunch noted this may be one of Silicon Valley’s largest seed rounds, showing investor confidence despite a lack of product or revenue, yet.
  • However, FT and Wired have warned of mounting “AI mania,” warning that it echoes past tech bubbles and that focusing on execution will be important to validated success.

What Are People Saying About This News?

Many well-known tech leaders and AI experts have praised the news. Investors said they trust Mira’s leadership because of her track record at OpenAI.

One of the members tweeted:

What’s Next for Thinking Machines?

  • Product launch: The first offering is expected by September 2025, blending open‑source tools and research insights.
  • Talent recruitment: The company is actively hiring top engineers with product development experience.
  • Infrastructure deals: Partnership rumors hint at possible collaborations with cloud and chip providers like Google Cloud and Nvidia, suggesting strong backend support.
  • Open‑source leverage: By releasing a portion of its model tools openly, the company aims to build trust and community adoption .

Could This Be a Turning Point in AI?

Thinking Machines Lab may represent a new breed of AI firm—one rooted in execution, transparency, and multimodality.. Its success could set a model for balancing open‑source collaboration with commercial viability in AI’s next chapter.

Still, critics argue that valuations feel stretched, and warn that only consistent delivery will separate sustainable disruption from speculative hype.

Conclusion

On July 15, 2025, Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab struck a chord with a record-setting $2 billion seed round, anchoring massive confidence in her vision. Backed by industry heavyweights and led by veteran AI practitioners from OpenAI, the company is now set to release its first product soon. The launch of a multimodal AI tool with an open‑source component could mark a major shift in how AI is built, shared, and used.

Yet, the real test lies ahead: can the firm turn its promise into product and performance? If it does, Thinking Machines Lab may well define the next era of practical, collaborative, and socially aligned AI.

FAQ’S

What is Mira Murati’s new startup, Thinking Machines Lab?

Thinking Machines Lab is an AI company started by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. It focuses on building open-source, collaborative general intelligence.

How much funding has Thinking Machines Lab raised?

The startup raised $2 billion in seed funding, making it one of the biggest early-stage AI investments ever.

What does Mira Murati plan to do with the $2 billion?

She plans to build open-source AI tools, develop safer AI models, hire top talent, and create AI that works with humans.

Is Thinking Machines Lab competing with OpenAI?

Yes, it aims to offer an open alternative to OpenAI by focusing on transparency and community-driven development.

Who invested in Thinking Machines Lab?

Major investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Khosla Ventures.

Why did Mira Murati leave OpenAI to start her own company?

She wanted to create a more open and transparent AI ecosystem that supports ethical and safe development for everyone.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and not financial advice. Always conduct your research.