Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, is in the process of raising capital for a new AI startup, according to sources. The venture is expected to focus on developing AI products using proprietary models. While fundraising talks are still in the early stages, sources indicate Murati could secure over $100 million due to her strong reputation and the significant investment required for model development.
It is unclear if Murati will take on the CEO role at the new company. There is speculation that Barret Zoph, another key figure who departed OpenAI at the same time as Murati, may also be involved. Zoph has not commented on his plans.
Murati was instrumental in leading groundbreaking projects at OpenAI, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, and played a crucial role in OpenAI’s multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft. Her departure in late September followed major shifts at OpenAI, including changes to its governance structure. Murati cited personal reasons for her decision to leave after more than six years at the company.
She joins a growing number of former OpenAI executives launching their own ventures, adding her name to a list that includes startups like Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence.
