Mira Murati’s Bold New AI Startup Aims for $2 Billion Seed Round – And the World Is Watching

When Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, stepped away to start her own AI company, people were curious. But now? They’re stunned. Her new startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is already making waves – and it hasn’t even launched a product yet.

According to reports, the company is aiming to raise a jaw-dropping $2 billion in seed funding – that’s double what they originally planned. And if that wasn’t ambitious enough, they’re shooting for a $10 billion valuation. For a company that’s fresh out of stealth mode, that’s a bold move – and it’s got the entire tech and investor world buzzing.

But why is there so much excitement over a company with no public product, no revenue, and just a vision? The answer might lie in who’s behind it.

Murati isn’t doing this alone. She’s brought along some serious talent – including John Schulman and Barret Zoph, both former heavyweights from OpenAI. In fact, nearly half of the company’s small but powerful 30-person team came from OpenAI, along with others from top AI labs like Meta, DeepMind, and Mistral. These are people who’ve already helped shape the future of AI – and they’re betting on something big here.

Investors are paying attention too. Deedy Das from Menlo Ventures told AIM that today’s early-stage funding isn’t always about revenue numbers – it’s about belief. Belief in the team, the mission, and the ability to execute something that could change the game. “In early venture capital, you're really betting on people,” he said. And with Murati at the helm, that bet doesn’t seem so risky.

So, what exactly is Thinking Machines Lab building?

The company is focused on creating advanced multimodal AI – systems that understand both text and images – and making them work in harmony with humans, not just for them. Murati has made it clear: this isn’t just about building smarter machines. It’s about laying strong, thoughtful foundations, pushing for open science, and helping everyone in the field learn and grow together.

It’s a huge ambition. Some might even call it crazy. But that’s how every big leap in tech begins – with people who dare to dream bigger than what’s already been done.

And in a world full of AI noise, Murati’s vision just might be the one worth listening to.