Thinking Machines Lab has raised billions in capital while assembling one of AI's most elite technical teams. Now it's watching some of that talent walk out the door.
As Big Tech rivals dangle eye-popping pay packages and early employees unlock their first slice of equity, the buzzy, 1-year-old startup has become ground zero for tech's escalating talent wars.
Nearly a third of its 42-person founding team — 13 people — have left since its launch, a Business Insider review of LinkedIn profiles and conversations with four sources found. Those departures include three of its six co-founders.
Thinking Machines Lab's head count has more than quadrupled to over 150 people since it launched, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.
The departures have been driven by a mix of factors, though a major one is the huge packages offered by rival AI labs like Meta and OpenAI, as well as the passage of an important milestone in startup compensation: the one-year cliff, four sources familiar with the matter said.
