Thinking Machines Lab boasts a powerhouse team with key members from OpenAI, Meta, and DeepMind, including Chief Scientist John Schulman and CTO Barret Zoph, with nearly half of its 30 staff formerly at OpenAI
Thinking Machines Lab, an ambitious AI startup founded by Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, is aiming to raise a record-breaking $2 billion in its seed funding round, setting its sights on a valuation of at least $10 billion. This eye-catching goal comes after the company emerged from stealth mode and has already drawn significant interest from the tech and investment communities, despite not yet having a public product or revenue.
The drive to secure such a large seed round reflects the growing investor appetite for AI startups led by former employees of top-tier research labs, like OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind. Investors are increasingly placing their bets on the potential of these founders to drive groundbreaking innovation and breakthroughs in AI technology. Deedy Das, a venture capitalist at Menlo Ventures, believes that these talented leaders possess the ability to uncover new directions that current AI research might overlook, even without solid revenue metrics at the outset.
Top talent and ambitious AI vision
The team behind Thinking Machines Lab is impressive, with several key figures hailing from OpenAI, Meta, and DeepMind. Chief Scientist John Schulman and CTO Barret Zoph are both former OpenAI employees, bringing their extensive knowledge and experience to the startup. Nearly half of Thinking Machines’ 30-person team previously worked at OpenAI, further underscoring the high-caliber talent involved in the project.
Based in San Francisco, Thinking Machines Lab is developing advanced multimodal AI models that integrate both text and image understanding. These models are designed with a particular focus on enhancing human collaboration with AI systems. Murati has emphasized the company’s broader mission of creating AI systems that not only excel in performance but also lay the groundwork for the next generation of intelligent systems that can work effectively alongside humans.
Poised for AI disruption
Although still in its early stages, the company’s impressive team and its potential to disrupt the AI landscape make Thinking Machines Lab a significant player to watch in the rapidly evolving AI sector. By combining top-tier talent with ambitious goals, the company is positioning itself to shape the future of AI, with the $2 billion seed funding round helping it to accelerate development and establish a dominant presence in the industry. With continued investor confidence and a growing pool of backing, Thinking Machines Lab is on track to become a key force in the next phase of AI innovation.
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