Mira Murati, former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, is making waves in the artificial intelligence industry with her new venture, Thinking Machines Lab. The startup is currently pursuing an ambitious $1 billion funding round at an estimated valuation of $9 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Business Insider.
The $9 billion valuation is remarkably high for a company less than a year old, but it reflects the intense investor appetite for AI startups, particularly those founded by former OpenAI executives. Murati’s impressive credentials include spending 6½ years at OpenAI, where she played a pivotal role in developing ChatGPT and leading various AI research initiatives. Her tenure at OpenAI was marked by a dramatic moment in November 2023 when she was briefly appointed interim CEO after the board’s sudden firing of Sam Altman, a decision that created significant turmoil within the company. Following Altman’s reinstatement, Murati returned to her CTO position before ultimately departing OpenAI last year.
Thinking Machines Lab emerged from stealth mode last week with a clear mission statement. In a blog post, Murati positioned the company as an artificial intelligence research and product lab dedicated to making AI more accessible to broader audiences. “To bridge the gaps, we’re building Thinking Machines Lab to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable and generally capable,” the post explained.
The startup has assembled an impressive roster of talent, recruiting extensively from OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic. Notable team members include John Schulman, who co-led the creation of ChatGPT; Jonathan Lachman, formerly head of special projects at OpenAI; Barret Zoph, a ChatGPT co-creator; and Alexander Kirillov, who collaborated closely with Murati on ChatGPT’s voice mode.
Murati joins a growing list of former OpenAI executives launching their own AI ventures. Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s former chief scientist and co-founder, departed in May 2024 to establish Safe Superintelligence. Similarly, Dario and Daniela Amodei left OpenAI to found Anthropic in 2021, which has become a major competitor in the AI space. While the funding round is still in progress and details could change, a spokesperson for Murati declined to comment on the reported valuation figures.
Key Quotes
To bridge the gaps, we’re building Thinking Machines Lab to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable and generally capable
This quote from Mira Murati’s blog post announcing Thinking Machines Lab reveals the startup’s core mission. It matters because it positions the company as focused on democratizing AI technology, addressing key industry concerns about accessibility and customization that have limited AI adoption among smaller organizations and individual developers.
Our Take
The $9 billion valuation for Thinking Machines Lab represents more than just investor enthusiasm—it’s a validation of the “founder pedigree” premium in AI investing. Murati’s deep involvement in ChatGPT’s development gives her unique credibility, but the real story is how former OpenAI talent is reshaping the competitive landscape. This exodus creates a fascinating dynamic: OpenAI trained the very people now building competing systems. The focus on making AI “more widely understood” and “customizable” suggests Murati may be targeting enterprise and developer markets underserved by current offerings. If successful, Thinking Machines Lab could accelerate the shift from monolithic AI providers to a more diverse ecosystem. However, the astronomical valuation also raises questions about whether expectations have outpaced reality in AI investing, particularly for companies still defining their product strategy.
Why This Matters
This development signals a significant shift in the AI industry landscape, highlighting the “OpenAI diaspora” phenomenon where former executives are creating formidable competitors. The $9 billion valuation for a pre-revenue startup underscores the extraordinary confidence investors have in AI technology and proven leadership from established companies.
Murati’s departure and subsequent fundraising success reflect broader trends in the AI sector: intense competition for talent, massive capital flows into AI startups, and the growing importance of making AI systems more accessible and customizable. Her focus on democratizing AI technology could address critical concerns about AI accessibility and control that have dominated industry discussions.
For the broader tech ecosystem, this represents both opportunity and disruption. Established AI companies like OpenAI now face competition from their own alumni, potentially accelerating innovation but also fragmenting talent and resources. For businesses and developers, more players in the AI space could mean greater choice, competitive pricing, and diverse approaches to AI development. The story also illustrates how quickly AI executives can leverage their experience and networks to command billion-dollar valuations, reshaping the competitive dynamics of one of technology’s most consequential sectors.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-new-startup-thinking-machine-labs-valuation-2025-2