On the heels of this week’s landmark San Francisco AI policy comes truly inspiring news from one of that city’s leading voices in the industry. Her startup, Thinking Machines Lab, just hit a mindblowing valuation of $12 billion after a recent seed funding round! You can bet that the company is eager to showcase its pathbreaking efforts in a few short months. This new, joint initiative has the potential to create a new frontier for artificial intelligence.
Thinking Machines Lab is currently preparing to launch a “significant open source offering” that will be particularly beneficial for researchers and startups focused on developing custom AI models. Murati emphasizes the importance of collaboration in the AI landscape, stating, “Thinking Machines Lab exists to empower humanity through advancing collaborative general intelligence.”
The new valuation increase comes on the heels of a Series D round of financing completed in mid-June. That round put Thinking Machines Lab within reach of $2 billion, $10 billion valuation. This rising trajectory underscores the increasing investor optimism towards the company’s ability to train frontier AI models. As such, Murati’s latest endeavor is set to have an enormous impact on the industry.
Then, on July 15, 2025, Murati returned to X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) with good news on the status of Thinking Machines Lab. She expressed excitement about the company’s future endeavors and their commitment to enhancing the research community’s understanding of frontier AI systems. “Soon, we’ll share our best science to help the research community better understand frontier AI systems,” she added.
Even some of the largest tech companies, including Meta, expressed interest in a potential acquisition. The talks never advanced to a concrete proposal. Significantly, this is just one sign of the intense competitive landscape around AI startups and the strategic importance of AI in today’s high tech sector.
Thinking Machines Lab is in the midst of growing its team, so if you’re interested in working there, be sure to apply! The company seeks individuals with a proven track record in “building successful AI-driven products from the ground up.” This new recruitment effort is in keeping with its stated goal of being a leader in providing innovative solutions in the AI space.
When she isn’t busy working on her latest professional adventure, Murati enjoys hiking and biking. In her free time, she loves to experience the vibrant food culture of the Bay Area. Her personal interests give insight into her commitment to infuse a spirit of fun and balance into the leadership atmosphere, building upon her burgeoning leadership profile.