Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab debuts with a $2B seed round, aiming to redefine AI with human-aligned cognition. Discover the startup planning to reshape AGI
Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati has launched Thinking Machines Lab, an ambitious new AI startup that has emerged from stealth mode with a bang. The company is reportedly raising $2 billion in seed funding, signaling not just investor confidence but a shift in the AI landscape.
With a valuation rumored to exceed $10 billion, this new venture could redefine the roadmap to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—placing alignment, cognition, and safety at the heart of innovation.
Murati’s Break From OpenAI: A Strategic Pivot
Mira Murati was instrumental in steering OpenAI through internal chaos during the Altman saga of 2023. Her departure in late 2024, though quiet, laid the groundwork for this massive new initiative.
Thinking Machines Lab represents more than a professional move—it reflects a deeper shift in philosophy: from scaled prediction models to cognition-aligned AI systems.
Elite Talent: Top Engineers and Researchers Defect
The startup has attracted high-caliber researchers from OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic, including names known for foundational work in alignment, reinforcement learning, and symbolic reasoning.
This talent migration marks a significant brain drain across major AI labs. Silicon Valley insiders compare it to Tesla’s early poaching strategy under Musk or the rise of FAIR at Meta.
Historic Funding Round: $2B in Early Capital
If the seed round closes as projected, Thinking Machines Lab would shatter records:
$2B seed round dwarfs OpenAI’s 2019 $1B from Microsoft.
Anthropic’s early $580M now seems modest in comparison.
The startup may become the fastest to a $10B+ valuation in AI.
Early investors reportedly include Sequoia, a16z, and sovereign wealth funds, eager to back a team that combines vision with execution.
The Tech Vision: Cognition, Not Just Prediction
Sources close to the company reveal a focus on neurosymbolic AI—a hybrid approach blending neural networks with symbolic logic. Unlike today’s brute-force LLMs, these models are designed to think, reason, and adapt more like humans.
The team is also exploring embodied AI: systems that learn through physical interaction, similar to child-like learning. This may unlock AI agents that perform across real-world tasks—not just text prompts.
A Challenge to Big AI Labs
Murati’s new lab introduces fresh competitive pressure on:
OpenAI, which has increasingly focused on monetization via Microsoft.
Google DeepMind, still refining Gemini’s next versions.
Meta AI, pivoting toward open-source but slow on alignment.
Thinking Machines Lab may emerge as the “Switzerland of AGI”—neutral, safety-aligned, and attractive to both governments and academics.
Regulatory Strategy: Compliance by Design
In an era where AI regulation is tightening worldwide, Murati is proactively building a policy wing. With the EU AI Act live and the U.S. eyeing bipartisan AI bills, this is a smart hedge.
By embedding compliance and alignment into its DNA, the company could earn early trust from regulators and large enterprise clients alike.
Strategic Implications: Enterprise, Governance, and Alignment
The lab’s long game might involve:
Creating trusted AGI infrastructure for enterprise and public use.
Leading international partnerships on AI governance.
Becoming a hub for AI alignment research, ethics, and safety tools.
This vision isn’t about just faster, smarter AI—but safer and more meaningful AI for society.
A New AI Power Center Emerges
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab may become the new center of gravity in the AGI race. Armed with top talent, massive capital, and a focus on human-aligned intelligence, the company is positioned to lead the next chapter in AI.
Will it succeed where others pivoted too fast toward profit? That remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the future of AI just got a major new player.
