This week, the long-discussed deal to raise additional capital for OpenAI was finalized, allowing the company to secure $6.6 billion and value itself at $157 billion, according to Bloomberg. These figures surpassed expectations, with Microsoft and Nvidia being among the key participants in this funding round.
Thrive Capital’s Leading Role and Other Major Investors
According to sources, the decisive player in this round of financing was Thrive Capital, which invested approximately $1.3 billion in OpenAI. Microsoft contributed $750 million—a comparatively smaller sum considering its previous investment of $13 billion in the company. This new investment round has positioned OpenAI among the top three startups receiving the most venture capital support, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX and ByteDance’s social network TikTok.
Other notable contributions came from Tiger Global Management, which invested $350 million, and Altimeter Capital with $250 million. International investors also showed interest, with Japan’s SoftBank, which owns Arm, contributing $500 million. Additionally, MGX and Coatue made undisclosed contributions. OpenAI’s reports indicate that the funds will be used to further research in artificial intelligence and expand its computing capabilities. We’ll keep you updated on developments.
Future Prospects and IPO Speculations
Representatives from Altimeter Capital suggested that an initial public offering (IPO) might be the next logical step for OpenAI. They called it the most important U.S. AI company after Nvidia. NIX Solutions notes that Apple did not participate in this funding round, though it had been involved in earlier discussions, according to Bloomberg.
Some of the capital raised was funneled through specially created project companies, enabling smaller investors to participate. Thrive Capital, for instance, attracted additional resources using this model. However, it is not yet clear whether the structural changes actively discussed with potential investors will be implemented. OpenAI, which currently boasts 11 million subscribers to its ChatGPT Plus service and over 1 million corporate subscribers, expects to generate more than $10 billion in revenue next year. For now, the company remains unprofitable. During negotiations, OpenAI reportedly advised its investors to avoid funding competing firms like Anthropic and xAI.