Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at OpenAI, is reportedly raising funds from venture capitalists for a new artificial intelligence (AI) startup, according to sources familiar with the situation. Murati, who stepped down from OpenAI in late September, is said to be in the early stages of discussions, with potential plans to raise over $100 million to support the development of AI products based on proprietary models.
New Venture in the Works
Details about Murati’s new startup remain confidential, and it is still unclear whether she will assume the CEO role in the new venture. A representative for Murati declined to comment, while one source, who spoke under anonymity, revealed that her reputation in the AI industry and the significant resources required to train proprietary models could help attract a substantial round of funding. However, the final figures are not yet confirmed.
Sources also indicate that Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who departed OpenAI on the same day as Murati, could potentially become involved in her venture. Zoph, who is reportedly planning a startup of his own, has not commented on the matter. It was previously reported by The Information that Murati has been actively recruiting OpenAI employees to join her new company.
From OpenAI to New Beginnings
Murati’s six-year tenure at OpenAI saw her lead some of the company’s most transformative projects, including the development of ChatGPT and DALL-E. She played a key role in OpenAI’s high-profile partnership with Microsoft, a deal that marked the tech giant as OpenAI’s largest financial backer.
Murati joined OpenAI in June 2018 and was promoted to CTO in May 2022. During her time at the company, she became a highly visible public figure, frequently appearing alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to promote OpenAI’s groundbreaking technologies. In May 2023, she led the launch presentation for GPT-4o, a model that brought realistic voice conversation capabilities to the forefront of AI applications.
Her departure in late September surprised many in the industry, especially since it followed significant changes in OpenAI’s governance, including removing the control of the non-profit board. Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during Sam Altman’s ouster last year, cited her desire for personal exploration as the reason for her resignation.
A Growing Trend of Ex-OpenAI Founders
Murati’s exit is part of a broader trend of former OpenAI executives branching out to create their own ventures. Other notable figures include teams behind Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence, both seen as rising competitors in the AI space. The departure of Murati, along with other key executives such as Chief Research Officer Ilya Sutskever and Research VP Dario Amodei, reflects an ongoing shift as AI experts seek new opportunities to advance the technology.
As Murati embarks on this new chapter, her entry into the startup world is expected to generate significant attention from both investors and the broader tech community, given her reputation and accomplishments. The potential involvement of high-profile colleagues like Barret Zoph further underscores the ambitious nature of her plans.
With AI innovation at the heart of her upcoming venture, Murati’s next steps will be closely watched as she continues to influence the future of artificial intelligence.
