Founders Leave Murati’s AI Startup, Anthropic Hires India Lead

Sector6  Jan 16, 2026 The bi-weekly newsletter by AIM that brings the biggest shifts shaping IT, AI, and GCCs. Founders Leave Murati's AI Startup, Anthropic Hires India Lead One of the most striking things about AI circles isn't the models or the money, but the people. The same elite engineers keep jumping between the same handful of startups, moving in such tight circles that it starts to blur the idea of exits, loyalty, or even separation between companies. By Mohit Pandey Less than a year after launch, Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Labs has lost three of its founding members—and in a plot twist that writes itself, all three are heading straight back to OpenAI.  The biggest departure by far is Barret Zoph, the co-founder and CTO. Murati confirmed the split in a brief post, saying the company had parted ways with Zoph and naming Soumith Chintala, the creator of PyTorch, as the new CTO. The announcement was unusually sparse for a startup that has raised $2 billion and commands a $12 billion valuation. There was no long farewell, no tribute thread, no framing around future plans. And within an hour, the reason became clear.  Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, announced that Zoph would be returning to OpenAI, alongside Luke Metz and Samuel Schoenholz, who were also part of Thinking Machines Lab's founding group. But founders usually leave after years, after exits, after disagreements that have already shaped a company's story. Here, the departures come before Thinking Machines has even put a major product into the market, apart from Tinker API. So the obvious question is: what happened? Reports suggest the split was not friendly.  A WIRED report suggests that Zoph shared confidential information with competitors, a claim OpenAI appears unconcerned about. Thinking Machines Lab has not publicly addressed those details. The silence itself is telling. For Murati, the challenge is now narrative as much as execution. She left OpenAI in late 2024 to create space for her own exploration. She then assembled one of the most high-profile teams in AI, drawing from OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.  Losing a CTO and two co-founders this early forces questions about governance, culture, and alignment, especially when the people leaving all end up back at OpenAI. All of this has also prompted people to ask the awkward question out loud: why did the startup receive so much funding in the first place without a product? AIM Network Deep Dive >> Tamil Nadu breaks new ground with Sarvam AI to build India's first full-stack Sovereign AI Park. AIM analyses the historic ₹10,000 crore deal, the strategy behind the 'Digital Sangam', and how this creates 1,000 deep-tech jobs while keeping India's data secure. This is the blueprint for India's AI independence. The AI Foundry by Tredence in Chennai: A Workshop for Builders of Real-World AI The AI Foundry hosted by Tredence, in association with AIM, is heading to Chennai. On February 7, senior AI and data science professionals will gather for an invite-only developer workshop focused on one question that matters right now: How to move from experimenting with AI to actually building systems that work in the real world? Click here to register now. Anthropic's New India Head While Thinking Machines Labs is dealing with exits, Anthropic is doing the exact opposite in India—adding leadership and putting down roots. The company has appointed Irina Ghose as its managing director in India, ahead of opening its first office in Bengaluru. Ghose brings more than three decades of experience and was most recently managing director of Microsoft India. Her mandate at Anthropic is clear: build local leadership, work with policymakers and universities, deepen enterprise partnerships, and grow the developer ecosystem. India already matters deeply to Anthropic's business. It is the second largest global market for Claude.ai, with a strong tilt towards technical and mathematical use cases.  Ghose has framed the opportunity in terms of applied AI, where trust, safety, and long-term impact matter as much as speed. "Anthropic's mission resonates with my belief that technology should empower people, expand access, and create lasting value across India's diverse languages and communities," Ghose says. The contrast with the Thinking Machines Lab story is sharp, but there is one common point. In AI, the most important people are the engineers and directors, who are building and scaling everything. Thriving Through Tech Change: A Leadership Guide to Supporting Mid-Career Talent Tech change is accelerating, and leaders can't afford to fall behind. Thriving Through Tech Change: A Leadership Guide to Supporting Mid-Career Talent, from Snowflake and AIM, is a practical leadership playbook for adopting smart tools with confidence, while keeping human judgment, empathy, and control at the centre.  Designed for non-technical leaders, it offers clear guidance on upskilling teams, reducing uncertainty, and supporting mid-career professionals through rapid change. Gain insights from industry leaders Yeshwanth S, director of data analytics and transformation at IQVIA, and Shubhosree Dasgupta, country data and analytics officer at HSBC, as they share real-world perspectives on leading transformation at scale. Register now and lead change with clarity, not chaos. Best Firm for Data Scientists – Showcase your leadership in data science and build a thriving workplace. Apply Now Join AIM Leaders Council – Connect with top data leaders and shape the future of AI. Check Eligibility Our Events – Be part of an exclusive event uniting North America's top data leaders. More Details AIM PeMa Quadrant – Discover the best in AI and data services with AIM's PeMa Quadrant. Explore Now GCC Explorer Unlock Exclusive Insights into 1400+ Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India with AIM Research's Comprehensive Database.  Access GCC Explorer   Stay ahead with these insights, and join us in driving the future of data science and technology. Your active engagement and participation are what make our community thrive.   For Brand Collaborations, Contact us at info@aim.media To unsubscribe from future emails, simply click the "unsubscribe" link AIM. Unsubscribe © Copyright, 2026, AIM • 1st Floor, Sakti Statesman, Marathahalli – Sarjapur Outer Ring Rd, Green Glen Layout, Bellandur, Bengaluru – 560103