According to the Financial Times, Thinking Machines Lab, a secret AI startup founded by former Openai Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, has closed its $2 billion seed round. The deal values the six-month startup at $10 billion.
The company’s work remains unknown. The startup leveraged Murati’s reputation and other well-known AI researchers who joined the team to attract investors to the biggest seed round in history. According to sources familiar with the deals cited by FT, Andreessen Horowitz led the round and joined from Sarah Guo’s conviction partner.
Murati left Openai in September last year after leading the development of its most notable AI products, including ChatGpt, Dall-E and Voice Mode. Several of her former Openai colleagues joined new startups, including co-founder John Schulman.
Murati is one of a handful of executives who left the Open in 2023 after raising concerns about CEO Sam Altman’s leadership. When the board expelled Altman that November of that year, Murati served as interim CEO before making a quick comeback.
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