Albanian-American tech visionary Mira Murati is making headlines with her ambitious plans for her new AI venture, Thinking Machines Lab. The startup is reportedly seeking to raise a staggering $2 billion in its initial funding round, aiming for a valuation of at least $10 billion.
Founded in February 2025, Thinking Machines Lab has quickly assembled a team of approximately 30 top-tier researchers and engineers, many of whom are former colleagues from OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral. Notable team members include John Schulman, a co-founder of OpenAI, serving as Chief Scientist, and Barret Zoph, the startup’s Chief Technology Officer.
Murati’s vision for Thinking Machines Lab centers on developing AI systems that are more understandable, customizable, and capable, with a strong emphasis on transparency and collaboration. The company pledges to publish its research and code openly to benefit the wider AI community.
This fundraising effort could mark one of the largest seed rounds in history, reflecting the intense investor interest in AI startups led by experienced and reputable figures like Murati. Despite being a new entrant, the startup’s high valuation underscores the confidence investors have in Murati’s leadership and the company’s potential to make significant advancements in the AI industry.
