Accel in Talks to Lead $1 Billion Funding Round for Thinking Machines
Thinking Machines, an artificial intelligence lab founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is reportedly negotiating a $1 billion funding round led by Accel. The deal would value the company at around $40 billion, significantly lower than its previously reported target of $50 billion from late 2025. Despite this reduction in valuation expectations, Thinking Machines still commands an extraordinarily high revenue multiple given that it generates over $100 million annually. The funding round comes after a previous $2 billion seed investment led by Andreessen Horowitz and including major tech investors like Nvidia and GV, which valued the company at just $12 billion. The current valuation reflects strong investor confidence in Murati's leadership and the potential of Thinking Machines' AI models such as Inkling. However, the startup has faced challenges with key personnel departures, including co-founders Lilian Weng and Luke Metz returning to OpenAI.
Topics: Accel AI Mira Murati Thinking Machines Lab Venture Financing