Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of OpenAI, has announced a major milestone for her new venture. Her artificial intelligence startup, Thinking Machines Lab, has secured $2 billion in funding. The company plans to introduce its first product within the next few months.
Murati became a well-known name in the tech world in 2023 when she briefly led OpenAI as interim CEO. She took on that role after Sam Altman was temporarily removed by the board. After leaving OpenAI in September 2024, she launched Thinking Machines Lab in February 2025.
This week, Murati posted on social media platform X for the first time since February to share the news. She revealed that venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, led the funding round. The investment also attracted support from major tech companies, including Nvidia, AMD, Accel, ServiceNow, Cisco, and Jane Street.
According to Murati, Thinking Machines Lab is focused on building multimodal AI. This means their systems will be able to understand and interact with people in ways that feel natural—such as through speech and visual inputs.
She explained that the goal is to make AI more useful, accessible, and fair for everyone. “We believe AI should serve as an extension of individual agency,” she said. “In the spirit of freedom, it should be shared as widely and fairly as possible.”
While she didn’t reveal exact product details, Murati said the first launch will include an open-source component. This will allow researchers, developers, and smaller startups to use and improve the technology. She also stated that the company plans to release some of its core scientific work to help the broader AI community.
“Soon, we’ll also share our best science to help the research community better understand frontier AI systems,” Murati said.
The announcement comes at a time when the AI sector is growing rapidly, and competition among startups is heating up. Many companies are racing to build next-generation tools that go beyond text-based models and can handle images, audio, and more.
Thinking Machines Lab has kept a low profile since its launch. Until now, few details were known about the company’s goals or team. But with this large round of funding and backing from powerful tech names, the startup is now stepping into the spotlight.
Murati’s vision suggests a strong focus on openness, scientific contribution, and practical tools that can be used in everyday life. Her past work at OpenAI gives her unique experience in building advanced AI, and many in the industry are watching closely to see what Thinking Machines Lab will deliver next.
With support from leading chipmakers and venture firms, Murati appears ready to lead the next wave of AI development—this time on her own terms.
