Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's start-up raises $2B at $10B valuation
21 Jun 2025

Thinking Machines Lab, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up founded by former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, has raised a whopping $2 billion in seed funding.

The Financial Times reported that the six-month-old company is now valued at an impressive $10 billion.

The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and saw participation from Sarah Guo's Conviction Partners.

Thinking Machines Lab has a strong team
Career transition

Murati left OpenAI in September 2023, after playing a key role in developing some of the company's most popular AI products such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, and voice mode.

After her exit, several of her former colleagues at OpenAI joined her new start-up Thinking Machines Lab.

The team includes John Schulman among other high-profile AI researchers who have been instrumental in attracting investors to the company.

Murati's exit from OpenAI
Leadership role

In 2023, Murati was one of the few executives who left OpenAI after raising concerns about CEO Sam Altman's leadership. When the board removed Altman in November that year, Murati took over as interim CEO until Altman's reinstatement.