About
Thomas Wolf co-founded Hugging Face in 2016 with Clément Delangue and Julien Chaumond and created the Transformers library — the open-source backbone through which much of the world runs its AI models. A Polytechnique-trained physicist with a Sorbonne/ESPCI PhD in statistical physics, he turned down an MIT PhD offer, spent five years as a European patent attorney (picking up a Sorbonne law degree along the way), then taught himself modern machine learning and became Chief Science Officer of the platform reportedly exploring a sale at $13 billion or more. He led the thousand-researcher BigScience workshop behind the BLOOM model, co-authored O'Reilly's Natural Language Processing with Transformers, and drives Hugging Face's small-model SmolLM family.
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Co-founded Hugging Face in New York in 2016 with Clément Delangue and Julien Chaumond.
- Education
- Turned down a PhD acceptance at MIT after a Lawrence Berkeley National Lab research stint, returning to France for a Sorbonne/ESPCI physics doctorate.
- Communities
- Led the ~1,000-researcher BigScience Workshop that produced BLOOM, the 176B-parameter open multilingual language model.
- More
- Created and first-authored the Transformers library (born as pytorch-pretrained-bert in November 2018), the most-used open-source AI library. Spent about five years as a European patent attorney at Cabinet Plasseraud before teaching himself machine learning in 2015. Co-authored the O'Reilly book Natural Language Processing with Transformers. His 2025 essay The Einstein AI Model publicly challenged Dario Amodei's compressed-century vision, arguing current AI produces 'yes-men on servers'.
From Thomas's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Co-founder & CSO at Hugging Face
Intro paths
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In turn, Thomas can intro founders to Hugging Face's investors below.
Hugging Face's investors · 23
A.Capital VenturesSan FranciscoAIX VenturesSan Francisco · $1M – $5M checksBetaworksNew York · $250K – $750K checks · since 2019Coatue ManagementNew York · $1M – $20M checksConnetic VenturesCovington · $250K – $500K checksFelicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checksFirestreak VenturesGMG VenturesLondon · $650K – $1.3M checksIntel CapitalSanta Clara · $1M – $20M checksJuniper Ventures Management, LlcSan FranciscoLux CapitalNew York · $100K – $100M checks · since 2019Mercuri.vcLondon · $650K – $1.3M checksMozilla VenturesNight CapitalCapitolaNVIDIASanta ClaraPremji InvestMenlo ParkQualcomm VenturesSan Diego · $5M checksSalesforce VenturesSan Francisco · $5M – $50M checksSequoia CapitalMenlo Park · $4.4M – $214M checksSound VenturesSanta MonicaSpice CapitalNew York · $100K – $250K checksSTATION FParisSV AngelSan Francisco
Co-founders at Hugging Face
JC
Julien ChaumondExecutive Officer, Director
CD
Clement DelangeExecutive Officer, Director
CD
Clément DelangueCo-founder & CEO
Experience
- Hugging FaceCo-founder - Chief Science Officercurrent2017 — presentNetherlands
- Cabinet PlasseraudEuropean Patent Attorney2011 — 2017
- Pierre and Marie Curie UniversityPhD2008 — 2011
- Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryResearch Intern2006
- AlcanProduction engineer2005
Education
- École Polytechnique2003 — 2007
- Pierre and Marie Curie UniversityPhD, Statistical / Quantum Physics2007 — 2011
- University of Paris I: Panthéon-SorbonneLicence en droit - Law Degree, Law2011 — 2012
- École des Ponts Business SchoolParisTech Doctoral Course in Management - ENPC MBA Paris, Business Managment2008
- Center for International Intellectual Property Studies - CEIPIIntellectual Property Law2012 — 2013
Skills & more
Machine Learning64Research55Deep Learning7Python (Programming Language)4Open-Source Software4Artificial Intelligence (AI)4R&D38Materials Science17Physics20Patents28Intellectual Property10Nanotechnology11
+1 more
Patent Litigation- Computational Probability and Inference (6.008.1x) — edX
- Probabilistic Graphical Models Specialization — Coursera
- European Patent Attorney — European Patent Office
From Thomas's professional profile.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Thomas WolfChallenging the Average With Open-Source AI
Me, Myself, and AI (MIT SMR) · sloanreview.mit.edu
The Past, Present and Future of Hugging Face
Leading With Data
Big Science and Embodied Learning at Hugging Face
TWIML AI Podcast · twimlai.com
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Thomas Wolf work?
- Thomas Wolf is Co-founder & CSO at Hugging Face.
- What companies did Thomas Wolf found?
- Thomas Wolf founded Hugging Face.
Paths to reach Thomas
People who overlapped with Thomas at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.
Together at Hugging FaceThomas: Co-founder & CSO
Clément Delangue2016–2026Co-founder & CEO of Hugging FaceESCP · Indian Institute of Management Bangalore · Universidad Carlos III de MadridPat Grady2022–2026Partner at Sequoia CapitalThe London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)Erica Van2023–2026Investment Director at Intel CapitalColumbia University · Rhode Island School of Design · The Wharton SchoolPaulina Szyzdek2022–2026Principal at E12 Venture Capital, LlcHult International Business School · Krakow University of Economics · Sotheby's Institute of ArtBrian Benedict2021–2023Co-Founder & CRO at Asymmetric Capital PartnersMerrimack CollegeSasha Luccioni2021–2026Investor at Blue Tulip VenturesEcole normale supérieure · Ewha Womans University 이화여자대학교 · Université de Montréal
Together at Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryThomas: Research Intern
Jinal Jhaveri2006Venture Partner at Runa CapitalG H Patel College of Engineering & Technology · Harvard Business School Online · University of California, BerkeleyAnastasia Istratova2006Partner at Fifth WallNEOMA Business School · Northeastern UniversitySila Kiliccote2006Breakthrough Energy Ventures at Breakthrough Energy VenturesCarnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business · University of New HampshireBill Hyun2006Venture Partner at Genoa VenturesThe George Washington University · The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesShuo Yang2006Partner at LOWERCARBONUniversity of California, Berkeley · Y CombinatorProf. T. Don Tilley, Ph.D.2006Co-founder at 1s1 Energy
Together at Pierre and Marie Curie UniversityThomas: PhD
Samuel Ohayon2007Managing Partner at Glen VenturesHarvard Medical School · Lycée Hélène Boucher · Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySoraya Bornaz2007–2008Technology Specialist at Underground VenturesÉcole nationale des ponts et chaussées · Ecole normale supérieure · HEC ParisYann Aprile B.2007–2009Program Director at HyperNestÉcole nationale des ponts et chaussées · Pierre and Marie Curie University · Université Paris CitéAnne Osdoit2007Partner, MD Start Strategy at Sofinnova PartnersÉcole Polytechnique · Pierre and Marie Curie University · The Johns Hopkins UniversityClaire Leurent2007Managing Director at AbbVieMIT Sloan School of Management · Pierre and Marie Curie University · University of StrasbourgLuca Parolari2010–2011Senior Associate at DCVC (Data Collective)The Rockefeller University
Founder mafias
École Polytechnique mafia69
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Arthur MenschMaster of ScienceFounded Mistral AIMatt RouifB.SFounded Photoroom +3Anne OsdoitMaster of Science (MS)Founded Moon Surgical +2Jean Yves StephanIngénieur de l'Ecole Polytechnique (Master's degree)Founded Data Mechanics +1Pierre-Louis BiojoutCycle IngénieurFounded NanoCorp +1Yudi DingMAFounded Hide biotech +1
+ 62 more
Pierre and Marie Curie University mafia21
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Anne OsdoitDIU CESAM - Centre d'Etudes Statistiques Appliquées à la MédecineFounded Moon Surgical +2Maxime AllouchM.S. in Applied Maths & Artificial Intelligence (M2A)Founded Verahealth +1Jeff ClavierDiplome d'Etudes ApprofondiesFounded Uncork CapitalJack GuedjD.E.A (doctorate cycle)Founded Magnum SemiconductorSamantha ZennouPremière année commune aux études de santéFounded AqemiaBenoist GrossmannPhDFounded Eurazeo
+ 14 more
University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne mafia13
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Ashby MonkMAFounded Shelton AI +1Olivier CarnohanDEUGFounded SingtelDamien LaunoyDEUG Economie-GestionFounded FieldInJean-Philippe LorinquerMaster of ScienceFounded WellhubAlaina PercivalMastersFounded Women Who CodeEnzo Avigo1st & 2nd years of Bachelor DegreeFounded June
+ 6 more
Center for International Intellectual Property Studies - CEIPI mafia2
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended École Polytechnique151
Arthur MenschCo-founder & CEO of Mistral AICyriac ParisotInvestor at Index VenturesPauline BoucherInvestor at DaphniMichal NatoraSenior Investment Director - Industrial IT & Robotics at Emerald Technology Ventures AgPascal Levy-GarbouaVenture Partner at Long Journey VenturesPhilippe VarinSenior Technical Partner at GVP Climate
+ 145 more
Also attended University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne108
Julie YangVice President at InvestcorpClaire TanguyInvestor at DaphniPierre-Eric LeiboviciInvestor at DaphniSauvanne Saint-LégerInvestor at DaphniSophie de ChampsInvestor at DaphniPria NarsimanGeneral Counsel at Greycroft
+ 102 more
Also attended École des Ponts Business School5
Also attended Center for International Intellectual Property Studies - CEIPI4
Shared employers
Also worked at Hugging Face13
Pat GradyPartner at Sequoia CapitalClément DelangueCo-founder & CEO of Hugging FaceErica VanInvestment Director at Intel CapitalPaulina SzyzdekPrincipal at E12 Venture Capital, LlcBrian BenedictCo-Founder & CRO at Asymmetric Capital PartnersSasha LuccioniInvestor at Blue Tulip Ventures
+ 7 more
Also worked at Pierre and Marie Curie University5
Also worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory51
Jessy RivestInvestor at Khosla VenturesJan CrisostomoOperating Partner at Rackhouse Venture Management LpAvinash KantInvestor at Phoenix Venture PartnersDaphne ChePrincipal at Electric Feel Ventures LlcLan WuAnalyst at FusionKylie TrettnerInvestment & Research Analyst at Undeterred Capital
+ 45 more
