Inkling 2 Small's Debut, Multi-Billion Dollar Funding, and Open-Source AI Leadership — Connecting the Dots

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Podcast: Connecting the Dots

Episode Title: Inkling 2 Small's Debut, Multi-Billion Dollar Funding, and Open-Source AI Leadership

Date: November 06, 2026

Hosts: Alex and Morgan

Today, we delve into the extraordinary advancements and market dynamics shaping the AI landscape. We'll explore a powerful new model from a leading lab, the staggering valuations driving innovation, and what it means for the accessibility and performance of next-generation artificial intelligence, connecting the dots between breakthrough tech and its economic impact.

Introducing Inkling 2 Small: A New Era of Open-Weight AI Models

Thinking Machines Lab has unveiled Inkling 2 Small, a cutting-edge Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) model boasting 594 billion total parameters and remarkable capabilities in agentic coding, vision, and knowledge work. Designed for fine-tuning, its upcoming release as an Apache 2.0 licensed open-weight model next week after safety testing could significantly democratize access to advanced AI, empowering businesses and developers to customize powerful models for their unique needs, potentially accelerating innovation across industries.

Thinking Machines Lab Secures $5 Billion at $40 Billion Valuation

In a major industry headline, Thinking Machines Lab is reportedly finalizing a $5 billion funding round led by Accel, pushing its valuation to an astonishing $40 billion. This monumental investment, tripling its previous valuation, underscores the immense confidence investors place in frontier AI companies. It highlights the escalating "AI talent war" and the intense competition to develop and deploy next-generation AI, signaling continued, aggressive growth in the sector despite high valuations.

Inkling 2 Small Ranks Top Among Western Open-Weight AI

Independent analysis from Artificial Analysis confirms Inkling 2 Small's significant prowess, scoring 31 on its Intelligence Index. This places it on par with Google DeepMind’s Gemini 3.8 Flash (high) and positions it to become the highest-scoring open-weight model developed outside China once its weights are released. This benchmark achievement signifies a major leap in open-source AI capabilities, providing a powerful, transparent alternative for organizations seeking top-tier performance without proprietary lock-in.

Recap and Close

Today, we’ve seen the trifecta of AI innovation: a new, highly capable model in Inkling 2 Small, an astronomical investment round solidifying its market position, and its impressive performance setting a new standard for open-weight AI. These developments illustrate the rapid evolution, intense investment, and strategic importance of making advanced AI more accessible. We’ll continue tracking these dynamics as the AI landscape reshapes our digital world.