Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s stealth AI startup targets $2B seed round at $10B valuation

Thinking Machines Lab, a stealth AI startup founded by former CTO of OpenAI Mira Murati, is reportedly seeking to raise $2 billion in seed funding.

Business Insider, citing sources close to the deal, reported on Thursday that Thinking Machines Lab is now aiming to raise more than $2 billion in venture funding—twice its original target. If successful, it would place the company’s valuation north of $10 billion—despite having no product or revenue.

“The company is raising upward of $2 billion in venture funding,” Business Insider reported, citing people familiar with the matter. “That’s double what Murati was seeking less than two months ago when BI reported she was raising about $1 billion at a $9 billion valuation.” 

That’s a bold move for a startup that’s just come out of stealth mode. Thinking Machines Lab currently has no product, no revenue, and hasn’t launched anything yet. But it’s not flying blind. Less than two months ago, Thinking Machines was reportedly chasing a $9 billion valuation. Now, the target has jumped even higher.

Murati’s Vision for AI

Thinking Machines Lab is aiming to build AI systems that work better with humans, not just for them. The company plans to make open science a core pillar—promising to release research papers, datasets, and model specs along the way.

Murati positioned the startup as a step toward making AI more accessible. “To bridge the gaps,” she said, “we’re building Thinking Machines Lab to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable.”

Before leaving OpenAI, Murati spent six years helping shape projects like ChatGPT. She briefly served as interim CEO after Sam Altman’s ousting, then returned to her CTO post when he was reinstated. Her departure six months ago left many watching closely for what would come next.

A Heavyweight AI Team

The startup has attracted a stacked lineup of AI researchers from OpenAI and other leading AI companies. Some of the key hires include:

• John Schulman – Co-led the creation of ChatGPT, now Chief Scientist
• Barret Zoph – Former OpenAI VP of Research, now Chief Technology Officer
• Jonathan Lachman – Former OpenAI Head of Special Projects
• Alexander Kirillov – Worked on ChatGPT’s voice mode

A Wired report revealed that the company’s first 10 hires included a senior OpenAI executive, plus talent from Google DeepMind and Character AI. Murati has also brought in engineers and researchers from Meta and Anthropic, signaling that this is no small operation.

It’s not hard to see why investors are interested. With Murati at the helm and a stacked roster of top-tier AI talent, the pitch is clear: this is a bet on people, not product—at least for now.

According to the company, the goal is to build AI systems that are “more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable” than what’s currently out there.

That’s a big promise. But if the team behind Thinking Machines Lab pulls it off, they may not just raise one of the biggest seed rounds in history—they could end up shaping where AI is headed next.

Why It Matters

Thinking Machines Lab has the team, the funding, and the ambition to make waves in AI research. Its pledge to keep things open—sharing research, datasets, and model details—stands out in a field that’s quickly becoming more secretive.

It’s early days, but with Murati leading and a deep bench of AI veterans onboard, this startup could play a major role in shaping what comes next. If the funding lands as reported, it’ll instantly rank among the most valuable AI ventures to spin out of OpenAI’s alumni network.