Reid Hoffman is stepping down from Microsoft's board to dedicate himself fully to Manus, his AI startup focused on drug discovery, Microsoft announced on Thursday.
Hoffman's Legacy at Microsoft
After joining the board following Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in 2016, Hoffman has been instrumental in several strategic moves. He was on the board when Microsoft invested $1 billion into OpenAI in 2019, where he was an original investor. He left OpenAI's board in 2023 due to potential conflicts of interest.
Hoffman was also pivotal when Microsoft executed a $650 million acqui-hire deal with Inflection AI, co-founded by Mustafa Suleyman, who joined Microsoft through this deal.
Manus: A New Chapter
On his “Possible” podcast, Hoffman shared his excitement about returning to “founder mode” with Manus, a startup that has raised over $50 million in seed funding. Manus, which focuses on AI in drug discovery, is co-founded by Hoffman and chaired by him, though the CEO is Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a renowned physician and author.
Hoffman noted the startup's progress on “Move 37” AI, aiming to enhance human creativity in chemistry, particularly for cancer treatment.
Commitment to Innovation
Hoffman emphasized the significant advancements made by Manus, stating, “I need to get back to founder mode.” His departure from Microsoft's board marks his commitment to advancing AI technologies in healthcare.
Hoffman's move signifies a strategic shift towards leveraging AI for groundbreaking solutions in the medical field, with Manus poised to potentially revolutionize cancer treatment.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/05/reid-hoffman-is-leaving-microsofts-board-to-go-founder-mode-with-startup-manus/
