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.

Facts Only

* Thinking Machines Lab launched in San Francisco one year and a half prior to securing the New York lease.
* The company leased 21,500 square feet at 79 Fifth Avenue from Kalimian Properties.
* The lease is located just one block west of Union Square.
* The asking rents for the office space are stated to be slightly above $100 per square foot.
* Thinking Machines Lab was founded in early 2025 by Mira Murati.
* The company achieved a valuation of $12 billion in July 2025.
* JLL and Newmark negotiated the lease for the tenant, while David Falk, Daniel Levine, and Dylan Weisman represented the landlord.
* The new office will occupy the entire fourth floor of 79 Fifth Avenue.
* Other occupants of the building include Capgemini America, Hulu, The New School, and Free People.

Executive Summary

Artificial intelligence research startup Thinking Machines Lab has established its first New York office at 79 Fifth Avenue, leasing 21,500 square feet from Kalimian Properties. The location is situated just one block west of Union Square. The company was founded in early 2025 by Mira Murati, a former OpenAI chief technology officer, to develop specialized AI models and tools for researchers and businesses seeking to train their own models. The company achieved a $12 billion valuation in July 2025. The lease is for the entire fourth floor of the building, which also houses other entities including Capgemini America, Hulu, The New School, and Free People on the ground floor. Negotiations for the lease involved JLL and Newmark representing both parties.

Full Take

The narrative positions a high-valuation AI research firm relocating to a prime Manhattan address, associating its physical presence with established institutions like The New School and major media properties. This move signals an ambition for East Coast legitimacy that mirrors the dispersal of high-tech capital, suggesting that proximity to cultural and institutional hubs is increasingly factored into the value proposition of deep technology ventures. The structure suggests that establishing a physical foothold in New York City serves not just as a commercial necessity but as a mechanism for signaling intellectual gravity and attracting a specific type of talent or investment network accustomed to that environment. The absence of explicit detail on the lease terms, contrasted with the visible luxury context of the building's tenants, creates an implicit dynamic where prestige is traded alongside operational space. This move can be seen as an attempt to integrate the cutting edge of specialized AI research into a locus traditionally associated with high-level academia and media influence. What drives this specific geographic pull for specialized AI labs over other major tech hubs? How does physical space negotiate the tension between proprietary, complex R&D and public institutional visibility in the current technological landscape?

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

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