Mira Murati, the former OpenAI CTO raising $2 billion for her secretive AI startup

Mira Murati, the former OpenAI CTO raising $2 billion for her secretive AI startup

Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI, has launched a new AI startup named Thinking Machines Lab. Founded in late 2024 and unveiled in early 2025, the company is focused on creating AI models that improve collaboration between humans and machines.

Thinking Machines Lab is seeking to raise $2 billion in seed funding, which could make it the largest seed round in history. The startup has already attracted top talent from OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic, including John Schulman, co-founder of OpenAI, who will serve as Chief Scientist, and Barret Zoph, former Vice President of Research at OpenAI, who will become the new company’s Chief Technology Officer.

The company’s mission is to develop AI systems that are more understandable, customizable, and capable, with a particular focus on enhancing human-AI collaboration across various fields. With Murati’s leadership and the team’s expertise, Thinking Machines Lab is drawing significant investor interest and positioning itself to become a leader in the AI industry.