Mira Murati, the ex chief technology officer of OpenAI has founded her own artificial intelligence company, Thinking Machine. She’s already raised an incredible $2 billion in investments to jumpstart her bold new efforts. As the Financial Times first reported, this latest round values the company at a whopping $10 billion. This milestone makes this round one of the largest seed funding rounds ever completed in Silicon Valley history.

Murati already had one foot out the door, having stepped down from her role at OpenAI in September. She was instrumental in creating and getting products such as ChatGPT and DALL-E to market. She acted as interim CEO after the brief, chaotic removal of Sam Altman in 2023. Prior to her recent departure, Murati was one of several executives who raised the alarm about Altman’s leadership.

When Thinking Machine was formally announced in February, it was clear that Murati had bigger ambitions to create an alternative future in the AI Gold Rush. That significant financial support is evidence that investors are betting on Murati’s vision. It is a testament to her exemplary history of spurring innovation in the AI space.

"Our goal is simple, advance AI by making it broadly useful and understandable through solid foundations, open science and practical applications." - Mira Murati

Insiders with knowledge of the agreement verified its importance. In fact, they pointed out that the $2 billion funding round is one of the largest seed investments in history on Sand Hill Road. This cash injection will allow Thinking Machine to pursue with renewed aggressive zeal its goal of developing impactful and responsible advancements driven by AI.

Murati’s exit from OpenAI came amid an internally roiling OpenAI, with the executive-heavy leadership debate in which she exercised considerable influence. Her decision to found Thinking Machine marks a new era in her career. With AI’s future now largely in her hands, she can turn her vision for the future of AI into reality.