Mira Murati Is Asking Investors To Commit To At Least A $50 Million Dollar Investment

Investors hoping to back former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati's buzzy new AI startup are being asked to commit a minimum of $50 million, according to two sources with knowledge of the deal. Murati is raising around $2 billion of capital at a $10 billion valuation for Thinking Machines Lab, BI previously reported. Multiple sources say the megaround, led by Andreessen Horowitz, is nearing the final stages of fundraising.A spokesperson for Thinking Machines Lab declined to comment. A spokesperson for A16z did not respond to a request for comment. The round is not finalized, and the details could change. The financing would almost certainly rank as one of the largest seed rounds in history, which typically range in the low to mid-single digits. A $50 million check size is beyond the scope of most traditional seed investors because it would represent a substantial percentage, if not their entire fund.The minimum requirement and rich valuation reflect feverish investor enthusiasm for generative AI and the reality that there are a very limited number of technical founders with Murati's expertise and the team she has assembled. It's also enormously expensive to train AI models and recruit and retain top talent.Murati spent over six years at OpenAI, where she worked on the development of ChatGPT and other AI research initiatives. She was briefly appointed interim CEO in November 2023 after OpenAI's board abruptly fired Sam Altman, a move that sparked turmoil within the company. After Altman's reinstatement as CEO, Murati resumed her role as CTO.It has been a widely discussed mystery what exactly Thinking Machines will do to distinguish itself in a crowded and well-funded field that includes not only OpenAI but also Anthropic, Elon Musk's xAI, and Google's Gemini. In a blog post earlier this year, Murati positioned the startup as an artificial intelligence research and product lab focused on making AI more accessible.More on Thinking Machines investments on Business InsiderAgentic AI for the Enterprise | Inbound and Outbound AI Voice AgentsI’ve partnered with DBC Technologies and I am now consulting with companies who are interested in automating inbound and outbound messaging with AI Voice Agents.I interviewed DBC Technologies Founder and CEO, Dennis Wilson last week for an episode of the (A)bsolutely (I)ncredible Podcast, watch to learn more about AI voice.Watch the interview with DBC Technologies’ Founder, Dennis Wilson on YouTubeWeb AI Chatbots, Inbound / Outbound AI Voice Agents, AI Marketing & ConsultingIf you are interested in AI Voice Agents for your business or organization message me.Thats all for today, but AI is moving fast - subscribe and follow for more Neural News. Get full access to Neural News Network at remunerationlabs.substack.com/subscribe