Former OpenAI Researcher Kevin Lu Joins $12 Billion AI Startup Thinking Machines Lab

Image for Former OpenAI Researcher Kevin Lu Joins $12 Billion AI Startup Thinking Machines Lab

San Francisco – Kevin Lu, a distinguished researcher formerly with OpenAI, has announced his recent move to Thinking Machines Lab, an artificial intelligence startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Lu shared his excitement about the new role in a tweet, stating, > "I recently joined @thinkymachines -- super excited to work with the team, I think we have the highest density of research talent in the world 🙂 we have a very ambitious roadmap ahead, the right team to work on it, & I think now is a great time to join; you should reach out to the team if that excites you!"

Lu brings a strong background in advanced AI research, having specialized in reinforcement learning, small models, and synthetic data during his tenure at OpenAI. He was instrumental in the release of models such as 4o-mini and contributed to o*-mini and o3. Prior to OpenAI, Lu conducted research in sequential decision-making and deep learning at Hudson River Trading and Meta AI, following his studies at UC Berkeley under notable advisors Pieter Abbeel and Igor Mordatch.

Thinking Machines Lab, launched in February 2025 by Mira Murati, has rapidly emerged as a significant player in the AI landscape. The company recently secured a substantial $2 billion in seed funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the startup at an impressive $12 billion. This funding round also saw participation from major tech entities like Nvidia, Accel, ServiceNow, Cisco, AMD, and Jane Street.

The company's mission is to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable, emphasizing human-AI collaboration and an open science approach. Thinking Machines Lab aims to bridge the gap between rapidly advancing AI capabilities and public understanding, committing to publishing technical notes, research papers, and code. The startup has attracted a high concentration of talent, with many team members joining from other leading AI research institutions, including a significant number of former OpenAI employees.

Lu's addition further strengthens Thinking Machines Lab's research capabilities, particularly in areas critical to developing advanced and adaptable AI systems. His expertise aligns with the company's focus on building multimodal AI that interacts naturally with users and delivers transformative applications. The move underscores the intense competition for top AI talent and the strategic importance of attracting leading researchers to drive innovation in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.