Key Takeaway
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab has signed a multi-year partnership with Nvidia to deploy at least one gigawatt of next-generation Vera Rubin systems for frontier AI development. Nvidia also confirmed a significant investment in the startup, with deployment targeted to begin early next year.
Thinking Machines Lab and Nvidia Deal – Key Points
The Story
Thinking Machines Lab and Nvidia announced a long-term strategic partnership centered on large-scale AI infrastructure. The agreement includes deploying at least one gigawatt of Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin systems to train frontier models and power platforms designed for customizable AI. The companies will also collaborate on training and serving systems optimized for Nvidia architectures while expanding access to frontier AI and open models for enterprises, research institutions, and the scientific community. The partnership comes as Thinking Machines Lab expands its platform strategy beyond its first developer product, the Tinker API.
The Facts
The partnership focuses on large-scale AI infrastructure.
The companies signed a multi-year strategic agreement to deploy at least one gigawatt of Nvidia Vera Rubin systems for model training and AI platform development.
The collaboration includes building AI infrastructure systems.
The companies will design training and serving systems tailored for Nvidia architectures and aim to expand access to frontier AI and open models for enterprises, research institutions, and the scientific community.
Deployment is expected to begin next year.
The rollout of Vera Rubin systems is targeted for early next year, aligning with the expected shipping window for Nvidia’s latest AI architecture.
Nvidia is also investing directly in the startup.
Nvidia confirmed it has made a “significant investment” in Thinking Machines Lab to support long-term growth, though financial details were not disclosed.
Thinking Machines was founded after Murati left OpenAI.
Murati, previously OpenAI’s chief technology officer, briefly served as interim CEO during Sam Altman’s 2023 ouster before leaving the company the following year and launching Thinking Machines Lab in February 2025.
Thinking Machines Lab describes its focus as building AI that is more widely understood, customizable, collaborative, and generally capable.
The startup currently has one public product.
Tinker, released in October, is an API that enables researchers and developers to customize and fine-tune AI models for specific tasks.
The company has already secured substantial funding.
Thinking Machines raised $2 billion in July as it built out its AI research and infrastructure strategy.
Earlier reporting placed the company’s valuation above $12 billion.
Leadership turnover has occurred during the company’s early growth phase.
Reports have cited departures involving co-founders and senior staff even as the company continued developing its technology and infrastructure plans.
Timeline
- November 2023: Murati briefly served as interim OpenAI CEO during Sam Altman’s removal.
- 2024: Murati left OpenAI.
- February 2025: Thinking Machines Lab launched.
- July 2025: The company raised $2 billion.
- October 2025: Tinker, the company’s first public product, was released.
- March 2026: Thinking Machines Lab and Nvidia announced the compute partnership and Nvidia investment.
Background / Context
Thinking Machines Lab is one of the most closely watched AI startups founded by a former OpenAI executive. Access to advanced Nvidia hardware has become one of the key constraints shaping the AI industry, and Nvidia has also invested in other major AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic. Partnerships that secure large-scale compute resources are therefore increasingly central to the competitive landscape of AI development.
Why This Matters
The agreement gives Thinking Machines Lab long-term access to one of the most valuable resources in AI development: next-generation compute infrastructure. Combined with Nvidia’s direct investment, the partnership signals that the startup is positioning itself as a serious platform builder focused on customizable AI systems rather than a small research lab.
This article was drafted with the assistance of generative AI. All facts and details were reviewed and confirmed by an editor prior to publication.
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