Albania Invests in AI Startup Founded by Mira Murati

On June 5, 2025, Albania announced an investment of 1 billion lek (approximately $11.6 million USD) in the AI startup “Thinking Machines Lab”, founded by Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI.

The funding was presented to parliament by Finance Minister Petrit Malaj and will be channeled through the Albanian Investment Corporation, using revenue from confiscated assets. Minister Malaj emphasized the strategic importance of the investment for Albania. Beyond boosting the country’s international profile, the project enables knowledge transfer, pilot initiatives in the public sector, and targeted support for local tech startups.

Thinking Machines Lab is already backed by international investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, and is aiming for a company valuation between $10 and $50 billion. The startup focuses on developing collaborative AI systems across text, image, audio, and interactivity.

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