Meta Platforms has reportedly entered discussions to acquire Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, as part of its aggressive bid to strengthen its AI capabilities. This move forms part of the broader Meta acquisition talks, also involving other high-profile AI startups.
What Was Reported?
According to The Verge, Meta engaged in acquisition talks with Thinking Machines, alongside AI firms Perplexity and Safe Superintelligence (SSI); however, these discussions did not advance due to strategic and valuation differences
Who Are These Targeted Companies?
- Thinking Machines Lab: Founded in February 2025 by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, it’s valued at around $9–10B and backed by top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz .
Why Meta Wanted to Buy Them
Hiring from startup acquisition is a fast-track route to onboard elite AI talent and bolster Meta’s AI assistant initiatives. Meta has already invested heavily—up to $14B—in Scale AI and onboarded its CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its AI projects
Why Talks Fell Through
The conversations reportedly never led to formal offers. The sticking points were differences in pricing expectations and strategic alignment between Meta and the startups
What Meta Did Instead
Meta has pivoted to acquiring top talent directly:
- Daniel Gross (SSI co-founder) and Nat Friedman (former GitHub CEO) are joining Meta’s AI team
- Alexandr Wang, former Scale AI CEO, joined Meta after a $14B investment into Scale AI
What It All Means
Meta acquisition talks underscore:
- Talent is priority: Meta is sparing no expense in acquiring AI leaders and expertise reddit
- Shift in strategy: Meta is focusing less on open-source AI tools and more on in‑house talent and custom investments.
- AI arms race: With OpenAI, Google, and others in fierce competition, Meta’s aggressive hiring and investment strategy signals a new phase in the AI landscape .
Suggested External Links
- Overview on Thinking Machines Lab (Wikipedia)
- The Verge’s detailed report on Meta’s uncompleted acquisition talks
- Financial Times or Reuters coverage of Meta’s Scale AI deal