Nvidia has announced a multi-year strategic partnership and an undisclosed investment in AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The core of the agreement is a commitment for Thinking Machines to deploy at least one gigawatt of Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin AI computing systems, with deployment targeted to begin in early 2027.
The partnership, formalized on March 10, 2026, deepens an existing relationship. Nvidia was already an investor in Thinking Machines Lab, having participated in a $2 billion funding round in July 2025 that valued the startup at $10 billion. Other investors in that round included Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), AMD, ServiceNow, and Cisco Systems. The latest reports suggest the lab's valuation has since risen to over $12 billion.
"Thinking Machines has brought together a world-class team to advance the frontier of AI. We are thrilled to partner with Thinking Machines to realize their exciting vision for the future of AI," said Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang in a statement.
Mira Murati, founder and CEO of Thinking Machines Lab, responded, "NVIDIA’s technology is the foundation on which the entire field is built. This partnership accelerates our capacity to build AI that people can shape and make their own." The startup's mission is to build customizable, reproducible, and reliable AI models for enterprises, research institutions, and the scientific community.
The deal is not merely a supply agreement. It includes a joint effort to co-design training and serving systems specifically optimized for Nvidia's architectures. This collaboration could yield system-level performance benefits that extend beyond the lab itself.
The commitment of one gigawatt of compute power underscores the immense scale required for frontier AI model training. This deal occurs amid a severe global shortage of high-end AI compute, with demand for Nvidia's processors far outstripping supply. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has predicted the tech industry may invest $3 to $4 trillion into AI infrastructure by 2030.
Thinking Machines Lab, despite its high valuation and funding, has faced talent flux, with several co-founders departing for roles at Meta and OpenAI in late 2025 and early 2026. Securing this long-term, strategic compute partnership with the industry's dominant hardware provider is seen as a crucial move to stabilize its foundational resource needs and attract top research talent.
