Mira Murati’s new AI venture eyes $9 billion valuation

Murati’s leadership at OpenAI was key in developing ChatGPT, serving as CTO for six years before briefly becoming interim CEO in November 2023 following Altman’s firing, later returning to her CTO role

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is taking a bold step into the AI industry with her new venture, Thinking Machines Lab. Reports indicate that the startup is in the process of raising a $1 billion funding round, aiming for a valuation of approximately $9 billion. This valuation is impressive for a company that is under a year old, signalling strong investor interest, particularly in AI startups founded by former OpenAI employees.

Murati’s leadership at OpenAI was instrumental in the development of cutting-edge technologies like ChatGPT. She served as CTO for over six years before briefly stepping in as interim CEO in November 2023 after Sam Altman’s sudden firing, a decision that sparked internal conflict at OpenAI. After Altman’s return, Murati resumed her role as CTO.

Thinking Machines Lab officially emerged from stealth mode recently, with Murati positioning the company as an AI research and product lab. The startup’s mission is to bridge gaps in AI, making the systems more accessible, customizable, and capable of serving a wider range of applications. Murati’s goal is to simplify and enhance the understanding of AI, providing tools that can be easily adapted to meet diverse needs.

Ex-OpenAI executives lead AI innovation

Murati has brought on a team of engineers and researchers from OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic, many of whom were integral to the development of ChatGPT. Notable hires include John Schulman, Jonathan Lachman, Barret Zoph, and Alexander Kirillov, all of whom have deep expertise in AI and machine learning.