Thinking Machines Lab Bleeds Talent as Founders Bolt to Meta
Two founding team members have ditched the $12B AI startup for Meta, deepening a troubling exodus.
Thinking Machines Lab just lost two more heavy hitters. Christian Gibson and Noah Shpak — both part of the startup's founding team — have jumped ship to Meta, where they've already been working for several weeks.
The departures are part of a growing wave of exits from the high-profile AI company, which carries a staggering $12 billion valuation. Losing founding-level talent is never a good look, but losing them to one of Big Tech's most aggressive AI players? That stings differently.
Meta has been on a relentless hiring spree across its AI divisions, and poaching from well-funded startups has become a key part of that playbook. For Thinking Machines Lab, the challenge now is proving its roster can absorb the brain drain without losing momentum.
No official statements have been made by either party.