Want to invest in Mira Murati's new AI startup? You'll have to pony up at least $50 million.
Mira Murati, the former OpenAI chief technology officer, is launching a new AI startup. Investors interested in supporting the venture are required to invest a minimum of $50 million. The high investment threshold indicates the scale and ambition of the project. Murati's background in AI research and development may attract investors looking to capitalize on the growing AI industry. The success of this new startup could have significant implications for the field of artificial intelligence.
Investors in Thinking Machines Lab are being asked to commit to a minimum check of $50 million, sources say. Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is raising around $2 billion at a $10 billion valuation. Sources say the round, led by Andreessen Horowitz, is nearing the final stages of fundraising.
Details of the Fundraising
Investors hoping to back former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati's buzzy new AI startup are being asked to commit a minimum of $50 million, according to two sources with knowledge of the deal. Murati is raising around $2 billion of capital at a $10 billion valuation for Thinking Machines Lab. Multiple sources say the megaround, led by Andreessen Horowitz, is nearing the final stages of fundraising. A spokesperson for Thinking Machines Lab declined to comment. A spokesperson for A16z did not respond to a request for comment. The round is not finalized, and the details could change.
Significance of the Fundraising
The financing would almost certainly rank as one of the largest seed rounds in history, which typically range in the low to mid-single digits. A $50 million check size is beyond the scope of most traditional seed investors because it would represent a substantial percentage, if not their entire fund. The minimum requirement and rich valuation reflect feverish investor enthusiasm for generative AI and the reality that there are a very limited number of technical founders with Murati's expertise and the team she has assembled. It's also enormously expensive to train AI models and recruit and retain top talent.
Mira Murati's Background
Murati spent over six years at OpenAI, where she worked on the development of ChatGPT and other AI research initiatives. She was briefly appointed interim CEO in November 2023 after OpenAI's board abruptly fired Sam Altman, a move that sparked turmoil within the company. After Altman's reinstatement as CEO, Murati resumed her role as CTO.
Future of Thinking Machines Lab
It has been a widely discussed mystery what exactly Thinking Machines will do to distinguish itself in a crowded and well-funded field that includes not only OpenAI but also Anthropic, Elon Musk's xAI, and Google's Gemini. In a blog post earlier this year, Murati positioned the startup as an artificial intelligence research and product lab focused on making AI more accessible. "To bridge the gaps, we're building Thinking Machines Lab to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable," the post said.