TLDR

  • Nvidia has invested an undisclosed amount in Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup run by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati
  • The two companies announced a multi-year strategic partnership on Tuesday
  • Thinking Machines will deploy at least one gigawatt of Nvidia’s Vera Rubin systems
  • Deployment is scheduled for early next year
  • Thinking Machines was valued at $10B after a $2B funding round in July 2025

Nvidia has invested in Thinking Machines Lab and signed a multi-year strategic partnership with the AI startup. The deal was announced on Tuesday morning.

Neither company disclosed the size of Nvidia’s investment.

As part of the agreement, Thinking Machines will deploy at least one gigawatt of Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin systems. Those systems will be used to support the startup’s frontier model training and platforms.

According to Thinking Machines, deployment on the Vera Rubin platform is targeted for early next year.

Thinking Machines Lab was founded by Mira Murati, who previously served as CTO at OpenAI. The startup focuses on building customizable AI at scale for enterprises, research institutions, and the scientific community.

Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO and founder, said in a statement: “Thinking Machines has assembled a world-class team to advance the frontier of AI. We are excited to partner with Thinking Machines to realize their exciting vision for the future of AI.”

Murati responded: “NVIDIA’s technology is the foundation upon which the entire field is built. This partnership boosts our ability to build AI that people can shape and make their own.”

The $10 Billion Startup

This isn’t Nvidia’s first interaction with Thinking Machines. Back in July 2025, the startup raised $2B in a funding round that valued it at $10B.

That round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and included participation from Nvidia, AMD, ServiceNow, and Cisco Systems.

Tuesday’s announcement further formalizes the relationship, transitioning from investor to long-term strategic partner.

The partnership also involves a joint effort to design training and serving systems specifically for Nvidia architectures.

Vera Rubin at the Center

The Vera Rubin platform is Nvidia’s next-generation GPU system, and this deal places a gigawatt-scale deployment of it in the forefront.

One gigawatt represents a significant power commitment — it reflects the scale at which frontier AI model training currently operates.

Thinking Machines states that the Vera Rubin infrastructure will support its work in building AI that users can customize and interact with directly.

The partnership is centered around expanding access to frontier AI and open models across enterprise and research sectors.

Nvidia already has investments in a number of AI startups and has been strengthening strategic ties across the industry through chip supply agreements and equity stakes.

The Thinking Machines deal adds another name to that list, this time with a gigawatt-scale hardware commitment.