Hoffman exits Microsoft board to pursue 'founder mode' at Manas

Microsoft announced on Thursday that board member Reid Hoffman is stepping down from his position on the company’s board of directors. Hoffman, who is a co-founder and chairman of the board of Manas, plans to transition his focus to the drug discovery startup. During a recent episode of his “Possible” podcast with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Hoffman explained his decision to return to “founder mode”—which refers to active, hands-on leadership by a startup founder. “One of the things I realized over the last month was that, we’re seeing such progress with Manas. I need to get back to founder mode,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman’s departure follows a decade of high-profile involvement on the Microsoft board, during which he participated in several of the technology giant’s most significant transactions:

• LinkedIn Acquisition: Hoffman joined Microsoft’s board in 2016 after Microsoft acquired LinkedIn, the company he co-founded, for $26.2 billion.
• OpenAI Investment: He was a board member in 2019 when Microsoft made its initial $1 billion investment into OpenAI. Hoffman was also one of OpenAI’s original investors and served on the model maker’s board.
• Inflection AI Deal: He served on the board during Microsoft’s $650 million transaction with Inflection AI, a startup Hoffman co-founded. The deal resulted in Microsoft hiring Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyman.

Manas, the drug discovery startup where Hoffman is shifting his attention, has raised over $50 million through a couple of seed rounds. Hoffman is an investor in the company, alongside General Catalyst. While Hoffman serves as co-founder and chairman of the board, the role of CEO belongs to Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. The startup is focused on developing “Move 37” AI, defined as artificial intelligence that supersedes human creativity in chemistry, with a specific application toward combating various cancers. Hoffman noted that he is excited to give Manas more attention due to the progress the startup is making.

This transition follows previous board exits for Hoffman. In 2023, he stepped down from the board of OpenAI, citing “too many potential conflicts of interest” to continue his role. His departure from Microsoft’s board represents a similar shift away from high-level corporate governance to focus on early-stage company building.

Why it matters

Hoffman’s shift from high-level board oversight at a tech giant to hands-on leadership at a drug discovery startup highlights the growing intersection of AI and biotechnology.