Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, is stepping down from Microsoft’s board after a decade-long tenure that began with the tech giant’s $26.2 billion acquisition of his professional networking platform in 2016. Hoffman is leaving to dedicate more time to his new AI drug discovery company, Manus, signaling a return to his “founder mode.”
Quick Facts
- Reid Hoffman is leaving Microsoft’s board of directors.
- He will focus on his AI startup, Manus.
- Manus is a drug discovery firm with $50M+ in seed funding.
A Storied History with Microsoft
Hoffman’s time on the Microsoft board coincided with some of the company’s most significant moves in artificial intelligence. He was a board member when Microsoft made its initial $1 billion investment into OpenAI in 2019. Hoffman himself was an original investor in OpenAI and served on its board until 2023, stepping down over potential conflicts of interest.
His influence was also present during Microsoft’s $650 million deal with Inflection AI, another startup co-founded by Hoffman. The unique arrangement saw Microsoft hire Inflection’s co-founder, Mustafa Suleyman, while integrating its AI models.
Going ‘Founder Mode’ with Manus
On a recent episode of his “Possible” podcast, Hoffman told Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella that the rapid advancements at Manus required his full attention. “One of the things I realized over the last month was that, we’re seeing such progress with Manus. I need to get back to founder mode,” he said.
While Hoffman is a co-founder and chairman of the board at Manus, the CEO role is held by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a physician, biologist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Hoffman believes the startup is making significant strides in what he calls “Move 37” AI—a term for AI systems that can achieve superhuman levels of creativity, specifically in chemistry, to develop new treatments for diseases like cancer.
Relevance for MENA’s Tech Scene
While this is a global tech development, Hoffman’s pivot carries weight for the MENA region’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. As Gulf nations like the UAE and Saudi Arabia pour billions into developing their own AI and HealthTech sectors, the move by a top-tier Silicon Valley figure validates the immense commercial and scientific potential at the intersection of these fields.
For MENA-based VCs and founders, Hoffman’s focus on a highly specialized, deep-tech venture like AI-driven drug discovery serves as a strong indicator of where a significant portion of global venture capital and top talent is heading. It underscores the shift towards complex, high-impact AI applications beyond consumer tech, a trend that regional players are keen to capitalize on.
About Manus
Manus is an artificial intelligence company focused on drug discovery. The startup leverages advanced AI to innovate in the field of chemistry with the goal of creating new therapies to combat diseases, with a particular focus on various forms of cancer.
Source: TechCrunch
