Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines raises $2 billion at $12 billion valuation

The rapid rise of Thinking Machines reflects a growing trend of former AI leaders, including Mira Murati, Dario Amodei, and Ilya Sutskever, launching independent ventures that are attracting top talent and substantial investor backing

Artificial intelligence startup Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, has raised approximately $2 billion in a recent funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $12 billion. The funding was led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, with strategic participation from prominent tech players including Nvidia, Accel, Cisco, AMD, ServiceNow, and Jane Street.

Launched just five months ago, Thinking Machines has quickly gained attention despite having no commercial products or revenue to date. The substantial capital injection underscores investor confidence in Murati’s leadership and vision for safer, more versatile AI systems. Nearly two-thirds of the company’s founding team comprises former OpenAI employees, positioning it as a serious contender in the highly competitive AI landscape.

First product launches soon

Murati announced on social media that the company’s first product will be unveiled in the coming months. She revealed it will include an open-source element aimed at supporting researchers and startups looking to develop custom AI models. "We’re excited to soon share something that will benefit the wider AI community," she posted.

The startup’s rapid rise mirrors a broader trend of AI executives branching out to launch independent ventures. Murati joins a growing list of ex-OpenAI leaders, such as Dario Amodei of Anthropic and Ilya Sutskever of Safe Superintelligence, who are drawing both talent and significant capital into the AI sector.

Investor appetite for artificial intelligence continues to surge, even amid broader scrutiny of tech sector spending. According to PitchBook, U.S. startup funding rose nearly 76% in the first half of 2025, reaching $162.8 billion. Notably, AI ventures accounted for over 64% of the total funding volume.

With strong financial backing and a high-profile team, Thinking Machines Lab is positioning itself as a key player in shaping the next wave of AI innovation.