AI Startup Thinking Machines Lab Takes 22K SF at 79 Fifth Avenue for First NYC Office

AI Startup Thinking Machines Lab Takes 22K SF at 79 Fifth Avenue for First NYC Office By Emily Davis August 26, 2026 4:30 pm reprintsArtificial intelligence research startup Thinking Machines Lab is coming to New York. Just a year and a half after launching in San Francisco, the company has inked a 21,500-square-foot lease at Kalimian Properties’ 79 Fifth Avenue just one block west of Union Square, Commercial Observer has learned. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but asking rents in the 18-story office building hover slightly above $100 per square foot, according to a source familiar with the deal. Thinking Machines Lab was founded in early 2025 by Mira Murati, former chief technology officer at OpenAI, to design specialized AI models and create tools for researchers and businesses to train their own models. The company achieved a $12 billion valuation in July 2025. JLL’s Justin Haber and Kyle Riker negotiated the lease on behalf of the tenant, while Newmark’s David Falk, Daniel Levine and Dylan Weisman represented the landlord. A spokesperson for JLL confirmed the lease but declined to comment on the deal. The team at Newmark did not respond to a request for comment. Thinking Machines Lab’s new East Coast home will occupy the entire fourth floor of 79 Fifth Avenue. The building between East 15th and East 16th streets is also home to consulting company Capgemini America, streaming giant Hulu, and The New School. It is also home to fashion retailer Free People on the ground floor. Kalimian Properties’ Albert Kalimian did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the deal. Emily Davis can be reached at edavis@commercialobserver.com.