Thinking Machines Lab, a research startup specialising in artificial intelligence, is expanding to New York. Just eighteen months after its founding in San Francisco, the company has signed a lease for 21,500 square feet in Kalimian Properties' building at 79 Fifth Avenue, located just one block west of Union Square. This is according to information obtained by Commercial Observer.
The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, according to a source familiar with the transaction, typical rents in the 18-storey office building are slightly above $100 per square foot. The new East Coast branch will occupy the entire fourth floor of 79 Fifth Avenue.
Thinking Machines Lab was founded in early 2025 by Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI. The startup aims to develop specialised AI models and provide tools for researchers and companies to train their own models. By July 2025, the company had already achieved a valuation of $12 billion.
The building, located between East 15th and East 16th Street, houses other prominent tenants alongside Thinking Machines Lab, including the consulting firm Capgemini America, streaming giant Hulu, and The New School. The ground floor also features fashion retailer Free People.
Negotiations for the tenant were conducted by Justin Haber and Kyle Riker of JLL. On the landlord's side, David Falk, Daniel Levine, and Dylan Weisman of Newmark represented the owner. A spokesperson for JLL confirmed the lease but declined to comment on the details. The Newmark team did not respond to a request for comment. Albert Kalimian of Kalimian Properties also did not immediately respond to an enquiry.
