n a bold and historic move, Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI, has launched a new artificial intelligence company called Thinking Machines Lab. With a staggering $2 billion in seed funding, the company has already achieved a $12 billion valuation — the highest ever for a seed-stage company.

A Dream Team for a New Era of AI

Murati isn't building this alone. The founding team includes some of the brightest minds in AI:

• John Schulman – Co-creator of ChatGPT
• Barrett Zoph, Lilian Weng, Andrew Tulloch, Luke Metz – Renowned for their work at the frontier of machine learning

Together, they aim to push beyond what current AI models can do.

Backed by Tech Giants and Top VCs

Leading the funding round is Andreessen Horowitz, joined by a powerhouse group of investors:

• Nvidia
• AMD
• Accel
• Cisco
• ServiceNow
• Jane Street

This diverse group reflects the immense confidence the tech and financial world has in Murati’s vision.

What is Thinking Machines Lab Building?

The company is developing multimodal AI systems — models that can see, speak, understand, and collaborate more like humans do. Murati has teased that the first product will launch within months and will include open-source components, opening doors for researchers, startups, and developers alike.

“We want to build machines that understand the world as humans do — through language, vision, and collaboration,” Murati explained.

Why It Matters

• Talent is the new gold: The size of this seed round is a loud signal that top AI talent now commands valuations once reserved for entire companies.
• Open vs. Closed AI: Thinking Machines is leaning into transparency and openness, contrasting with the more closed strategies of some competitors.
• Rising Competition: They’ll go head-to-head with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, Meta, and more. The AI arms race just intensified.

Final Thoughts

Thinking Machines Lab isn’t just another startup — it’s a moonshot backed by deep conviction, elite talent, and billions in capital. If they can deliver a working product that lives up to the vision, it could redefine how we build and interact with AI.

All eyes are now on what Murati and her team unveil in the coming months. One thing is certain: the future of AI just got a lot more interesting.