Murati’s Thinking Machines: How a Nobody Startup Became the Talk of Silicon Valley
Six months ago, if you’d mentioned “Thinking Machines” to anyone in tech, they’d probably shrug. Today? It’s the name on everyone’s lips—a $10 billion AI startup that came out of nowhere. And the guy behind it? Rohan Murati, that serial entrepreneur who’s made a habit of building stuff in secret and then dropping it like a mic. This time, he’s not just making AI that thinks. He wants it to get us—like a friend who finishes your sentences, but for code. Crazy, right? But investors are throwing money at it like there’s no tomorrow.
That Insane $2 Billion Funding Round
Let me put it this way: most startups dream of a $20 million Series A. Thinking Machines just bagged a hundred times that. We’re talking Sequoia, a16z, and—get this—rumors that Alphabet slipped them some cash too. For context, OpenAI’s early funding now looks like pocket change. Where’s the money going? Well, they’re hiring every AI genius they can find (sorry, Anthropic) and working on something called “emotion-aware” models. Which sounds either brilliant or slightly terrifying.
What Actually Makes This Tech Special?
Okay, so their big product is called Cursor. On paper, it’s another coding assistant. But here’s the thing—it doesn’t just suggest code. It predicts what you’re trying to do, almost like it’s reading your mind. Developers testing it say they’re 40% faster, and apparently it even makes dumb coding jokes while fixing bugs. GitHub Copilot woke up feeling dangerous, I guess.
The Nitty-Gritty:
- Brain: Some custom model they’re calling “VibeCoder-7B” (yes, really)
- Speed: Blows GPT-4 out of the water on complex tasks
- Works With: Basically every coding tool devs actually use
How a Startup Hits $10B in Half a Year
Honestly? It’s part timing, part hype, and a whole lot of FOMO. They did this “exclusive” beta with big-name companies—which is just Silicon Valley for “making people want what they can’t have.” Their pricing model is wild too: pay more, and your AI gets… nicer? Murati’s tweet calling their tech “ChatGPT with a soul” didn’t hurt either. Went viral overnight.
Not Your Average AI Unicorn
This isn’t another safety-obsessed Anthropic clone or a chatbot trying to be your therapist. Thinking Machines went all in on tools for developers, but with personality. Their growth makes Zoom’s early days look slow. But—and this is a big but—we’ve seen this movie before. Anyone remember WeWork?
The Elephant in the Room
Look, I’m as excited as anyone, but let’s not ignore the red flags. Governments are already side-eyeing “emotional AI,” competitors are tearing apart Cursor’s code, and $10 billion valuations need actual revenue. Viral tweets don’t pay the bills, last I checked.
What’s Next? AI Life Coaches, Apparently
Leaks say they’re working on an AI that’ll nag you to drink water and take breaks—because clearly, we humans can’t be trusted. Long-term? Murati’s being vague about “redefining collaboration” between humans and AI. Typical founder speak. But one thing’s clear: the AI world just got a lot more interesting.
So… Is This Legit or Just Another Bubble?
Right now? It’s the best show in tech. Long-term? Depends on whether Cursor can be more than a coder’s sidekick. Either way, grab some popcorn—this is gonna be fun to watch.
Too Long; Didn’t Read: Some random startup mixed secret sauce, perfect timing, and developer love to become AI’s newest superstar. Now comes the hard part: proving they’re worth it.
Source: Financial Times – Companies
