OpenAI Secures $8.3 Billion in Funding, Reaching $300 Billion Valuation

OpenAI reportedly raises $8.3B at $300B valuation | TechCrunch

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation, reports The New York Times. The deal is part of OpenAI's broader strategy to secure $40 billion this year. The oversubscribed round came months ahead of schedule, per the NYT. OpenAI initially raised $2.5 billion from VC firms in March when it announced its intention to raise $40 billion in a round spearheaded by Softbank. The AI giant had planned to take on an additional $7.5 billion by the end of the year, but beat itself to the punch as investors clamber to get onto its cap table amid impressive growth. On Thursday, The Information reported OpenAI hit $12 billion in annualized revenue and surpassed 700 million ChatGPT weekly active users. The Times today said that the number is closer to $13 billion, with projections to reach $20 billion by the end of the year. Other tailwinds include the Trump administration's AI Action Plan and talks with Microsoft that could help the startup reach its goal of becoming a true for-profit company. The Times reported that Dragoneer Investment Group, an under-the-radar investor, led the round with a startling $2.8 billion check. Many new investors participated in the round, including private equity giants Blackstone and TPG and mutual fund manager T. Rowe Price. Other participants include Altimeter Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue Management, D1 Capital Partners, Fidelity Management, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, and Thrive Capital. Some early investors in OpenAI were reportedly dismayed by the smaller allocations they got in the round as the AI behemoth prioritized bringing on new strategic backers. TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for comment.

OpenAI raises $8.3 billion as paid ChatGPT users reach 5 million

The fresh capital comes as the artificial intelligence company's business accelerates. Annual recurring revenue jumped to $13 billion, up from $10 billion in June, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential financial information, and is projected to top $20 billion by year-end. Paid business users of ChatGPT have climbed to five million from three million just months ago, they said. The round was completed ahead of schedule and was five times oversubscribed. DealBook was first to report the transaction. The raise underscores surging investor appetite for AI platforms as competition intensifies among leading model makers. Dragoneer Investment Group contributed $2.8 billion to the round, the person said, joining Blackstone, TPG, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Altimeter, D1 Capital, Tiger Global, and Thrive Capital. While Dragoneer was the largest investor in this latest tranche of funding, SoftBank remains the lead backer of the broader $40 billion fundraising effort.

OpenAI Raises Another Funding Deal, From Dragoneer, Blackstone and More

Andrew here. It's a huge morning of news: We have an exclusive on OpenAI's latest fund-raising round, with some new boldfaced investor names and one big check; we sort through the latest tariff news and what comes next; we also dive into Figma's I.P.O. for the ages, and more. And stay tuned for the jobs numbers, which come out shortly. OpenAI's latest mega-round While Wall Street has been focused on how tech giants are spending on artificial intelligence, the most prominent name in the field, OpenAI, has been racking up big money as well. DealBook is first to report on the huge numbers, and what the round means for the company behind ChatGPT in the increasingly heated A.I. race. OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation, months ahead of schedule, as part of its plan to secure $40 billion in funding this year, DealBook has learned. Back in March, OpenAI announced its ambitious funding plans, with SoftBank committing to provide $30 billion by year-end. The start-up raised $2.5 billion from venture capital firms that same month, with plans to raise an additional $7.5 billion by the end of the year. Instead, the fund-raising came much sooner -- and over target. A wave of new investors participated in the round, including the private equity giants Blackstone and TPG, and the mutual fund manager T. Rowe Price. Other participants include Fidelity Management, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, D1 Capital Partners, Tiger Global and Thrive Capital. Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.

OpenAI's latest funding round was so popular early investors were reportedly miffed about getting smaller allocations to make room for new partners

Back in March, OpenAI announced a plan to raise up to $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation by the end of the year, with $10 billion becoming immediately available (thanks to SoftBank, which footed 75% of the bill), and the remaining $30 billion arriving by the end of the year. On Friday, OpenAI made strong headway on its financial plans, raising another $8.3 billion at that same $300 billion valuation, The New York Times' DealBook was first to report. Demand for the round was off the charts -- it was five times oversubscribed, according to the NYT -- which meant many early investors participating in the new round were reportedly frustrated by getting smaller allocations so OpenAI could prioritize new backers. One of those first-time investors in OpenAI was Marc Stad's Dragoneer Investment Group, an early investor in Spotify and Uber. Dragoneer wrote a massive $2.8 billion check, which led the latest fundraise and means OpenAI now represents roughly 10% of the firm's funds. The round also included some other new investors, including T. Rowe Price, as well as a pair of giants from the private-equity world, TPG and BlackStone. Other participants in the round included Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Fidelity Management, Thrive Capital, D1 Capital Partners, Coatue Management, and Tiger Global. The New York Times' DealBook reports OpenAI's annual recurring revenue, which was reported as $10 billion in June, now exceeds $13 billion just two months later, and may pass the $20 billion mark by year's end. To offer some context: Anthropic, OpenAI's nearest rival in terms of revenue and capital raised, has $14.3 billion in lifetime fundraising, and its valuation is $61.5 billion as of March -- though it is currently in talks to raise another $5 billion at a $170 billion valuation. Perplexity AI, another rival, raised $100 million last month, bringing its valuation to $18 billion. Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, has raised $10 billion at a reported $80 billion valuation, though current fundraising efforts could bring that number up to $200 billion. Of course, all of this money brings OpenAI closer to an initial public offering. The company is currently in the midst of restructuring itself to become a for-profit company (which requires a green light from Microsoft), so there is still no announced timeline for an IPO. But the latest round means OpenAI has raised more than any other AI company by a wide margin, which gives it the upper hand in the red-hot sector. OpenAI might face a true challenge, though, from some of the more established Silicon Valley giants, including Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pouring billions into AI resources, including talent; its $72 billion AI infrastructure spend is almost 80% higher than OpenAI's entire fundraising round this year. Meta is also the sixth-most valuable company in the world with a market cap approaching $2 trillion. OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

OpenAI just raised another $8.3 billon in a funding round that values it at an unbelievable $300B, surpassing AMD, Coca-Cola, and General Electric

OpenAI's business model is, at bottom, pretty simple. Sam Altman gets up on a stage somewhere, burbles a few lines about how AI is going to radically upend society and cure cancer, and then shareholders fall over themselves in a frenzied rush to thrust money upon this economic miracle-to-be. OpenAI sells subscriptions to users, sure, but the real profit is in the promises. As reported by the New York Times' Dealbook, OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion in a new funding round that values the company at $300 billion. This news comes ahead of schedule: OpenAI's last crazy investment round was the announcement of a $30 billion deal with SoftBank, on top of which it raised another $2.5 billion from VC firms, before saying it planned to raise another $7.5 billion by the end of the year. Job done, and handsomely, with five months to go. The Dragoneer Investment Group is in there with an enormous $2.8 billion investment: even in the world of venture capital, this is an extraordinary sum for one firm to commit. The NYT's DealBook reckons it "may be one of the largest [checks] ever written" by a single investment firm. Many other firms took part in the funding round, which was apparently five times oversubscribed. OpenAI may well come up with a defining piece of technology that actually changes the world: but so far, it hasn't. Not even close. ChatGPT certainly has its uses, but... $300 billion is a valuation that reckons OpenAI (which is not yet publicly listed) is worth more than Coca-Cola ($296 billion), AMD ($278 billion) and General Electric ($285 billion). A notable element of this news was an anonymous OpenAI employee that spoke to both DealBook and CNBC, claiming that the company's annual recurring revenue has "soared" to $13 billion and they project it will top $20 billion by the end of the year. There are also apparently now five million business users. I am not sure any of these numbers should be taken at face value, nor why OpenAI staff feel the need to anonymously tell outlets that the numbers are looking great, homie. So many big tech firms are so heavily invested in AI now that there's a sense of inevitability about the tech creeping into everything. There are great use cases and not-so-great use cases (among AI's biggest crimes is making Google search useless). But all of this is predicated on a product that, as of yet, hasn't delivered on the more grandiose promises made by its backers. Maybe it will. But $300 billion seems like an awfully big bet on "maybe."

OpenAI reportedly raises $8.3B in funding after annualized revenue tops $13B - SiliconANGLE

OpenAI reportedly raises $8.3B in funding after annualized revenue tops $13B OpenAI has reportedly raised $8.3 billion from investors as part of a funding round that could eventually be worth up to $40 billion. Sources told the New York Times today that Dragoneer led the deal. The asset manager, which reportedly made a $2.3 billion investment, was joined by a dozen other institutional backers. The group included T. Rowe Price, Blackstone, Sequoia, Tiger Global and other prominent investors. OpenAI reportedly closed the deal several months earlier than originally planned. According to the Times, the ChatGPT developer gave existing investors smaller allocations than they had sought in order to prioritize new backers. The report described the deal as oversubscribed. The strong investor interest in the raise may have been driven by OpenAI's latest set of growth milestones. According to the Times, the artificial intelligence provider's annualized recurring revenue recently topped $13 billion. OpenAI is believed to have 5 million paying business customers and 700 million weekly active users. The early momentum of OpenAI for Countries may have also boosted investor interest in the funding round. Launched in May, OpenAI for Countries is an initiative that will see the AI provider help governments build local AI infrastructure. On Thursday, OpenAI announced plans to build a data center in Norway with 230 megawatts of initial capacity. The facility will be equipped with 100,000 Nvidia Corp. graphics cards by the end of 2026. OpenAI earlier inked an agreement to build a 5-gigawatt AI data center campus in Abu Dhabi. OpenAI's latest $8.3 billion raise is part of a larger funding round that could be worth as much as $40 billion. In March, CNBC reported that SoftBank Group Corp. is set to provide $30 billion while the rest will come from other backers. The Japanese conglomerate's investment is contingent on the completion of a restructuring initiative that OpenAI launched earlier this year. Currently, the ChatGPT developer operates as a nonprofit with a for-profit arm that leads its AI research and commercialization efforts. OpenAI plans to restructure the for-profit arm as a public benefit corporation by the end of the year. Beyond its role as an investor, SoftBank is a key participant in the ChatGPT developer's Stargate initiative. The program seeks to build a network of AI data centers for OpenAI at a cost of up to $500 million. SoftBank owns the Stargate trademark, while its SB Energy renewable energy subsidiary could reportedly play a role in some Starlink construction projects. OpenAI's latest raise comes amid rumors that Anthropic PBC is also seeking new funding. According to The Information, the company is in talks to raise a $5 billion round that could value it at $170 billion. Iconiq is expected to lead the investment with a $1 billion check. Like OpenAI, Anthropic is experiencing rapid sales growth. On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that the company's annualized revenue grew from $4 billion in early June to $5 billion by the end of the month. Anthropic expects to reach $9 billion by 2026.

OpenAI raises $8.3B at $300B valuation

OpenAI's latest funding round, which values the company at $300 billion, was five times oversubscribed amid surging investor demand for AI, according to The New York Times. OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation, accelerating its plan to secure $40 billion in funding by year's end. The latest round, led by Dragoneer Investment Group, comes after the company raised $2.5 billion in March. According to The New York Times on Friday, Dragoneer committed $2.8 billion to the raise, representing roughly 10% of its total funds. The funding round brings OpenAI closer to its 2025 target, which includes a $30 billion commitment from SoftBank. The funding round was five times oversubscribed, meaning investors wanted to invest roughly $40 billion, the Times said. OpenAI prioritized new strategic investors over existing backers, frustrating some investors who received smaller allocations than they hoped for. Other investors include Blackstone, TPG, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity Management, Andreessen Horowitz, Altimeter Capital, Coatue Management, D1 Capital Partners, Thrive Capital and Tiger Global. A brief history of OpenAI OpenAI was founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever and others as a nonprofit research lab committed to ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits humanity. In 2019, it created a capped-profit subsidiary, OpenAI LP, to raise outside funding, securing a $1 billion investment from Microsoft and transitioning toward a more commercially driven model. OpenAI expects to generate $12.7 billion in total revenue in 2025, according to internal projections reported by Bloomberg in March. More recently, DealBook reported that the company's annual recurring revenue has reached $13 billion and is projected to surpass $20 billion by year-end. In September, OpenAI reported reaching 1 million paid users for its business-focused ChatGPT plans. ChatGPT has also dominated its Large Language Model competitors. Data from FirstPageSage shows it has steadily maintained more than 70% of the LLM market share since January 2024. Despite surging adoption, OpenAI doesn't expect to be cash-flow positive until 2029, when revenue could top $125 billion. AI-focused crypto projects attract fresh venture capital While OpenAI continues to attract record-breaking investment from traditional venture firms, the crypto industry is carving out its own AI frontier. A growing wave of decentralized AI startups is raising capital to build open-source, token-powered alternatives to proprietary models. In April, AI startup Nous Research raised $50 million in a Series A round led by Paradigm, valuing the company at $1 billion. Nous is developing open-source AI models on the Solana blockchain to provide decentralized alternatives to platforms like OpenAI and DeepSeek. In July, Poseidon raised $15 million in seed funding led by a16z Crypto. The US-based full-stack AI data layer aims to solve the shortage of high-quality, legally cleared training data for AI models by providing structured, real-world data sets that can be used without copyright concerns. Overall, crypto venture funding has surged in Q2 of 2025 to over $10 billion, its best quarter since early 2022. In June alone, $5.14 billion was raised.

OpenAI Just Raised $8.3 Billion At This Valuation As ChatGPT Growth Soars - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)

ChatGPT parent OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion in new capital at a $300 billion valuation as part of its ongoing $40 billion fundraising effort, according to a person familiar with the deal. The fresh funding comes as the company's business rapidly scales, with annual recurring revenue climbing to $13 billion -- up from $10 billion in June -- and projected to surpass $20 billion by the end of the year, CNBC reported on Friday. The move accelerated OpenAI's path toward a $40 billion fundraising goal for 2025. Also Read: Microsoft-Backed OpenAI To Snap Windsurf For $3 Billion To Strengthen AI Coding Power: Report The number of paid ChatGPT business users grew to five million from three million in just a few months. According to the report, the company closed the oversubscribed round months ahead of schedule, after securing $2.5 billion from venture firms in March in a SoftBank-led effort. Dragoneer Investment Group led OpenAI's latest tranche with a $2.8 billion contribution, joining a group of prominent investors including Blackstone, T. Rowe Price, Fidelity. While Dragoneer topped the list in this round, SoftBank remains the lead backer of the broader $40 billion raise. OpenAI had planned to raise an additional $7.5 billion by year-end, but investor demand surged as the company posted rapid growth. Reportedly, OpenAI reached $12 billion in annualized revenue and surpassed 700 million weekly active ChatGPT users. Strong market interest, combined with momentum from the Trump administration's AI Action Plan and ongoing talks with Microsoft MSFT, is helping OpenAI accelerate its transition toward becoming a fully for-profit enterprise. Meta Platforms META, Microsoft, and Alphabet GOOGL are driving a $250 billion surge in AI infrastructure spending through 2025-26, demonstrating their commitment to powering the next phase of the tech revolution. These companies are sharply increasing capital expenditures on data centers, servers, and networking to scale AI development -- transforming strategic ambition into real-world infrastructure. Rival Anthropic seeks $3 billion to $5 billion in new funding at a potential valuation of $170 billion. Both firms are increasingly turning to Middle Eastern capital, with OpenAI partnering with G42 to build a large data center in Abu Dhabi. JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, in his analyst note, stated that Meta plans to spend nearly $100 billion by 2026, Alphabet raised its 2025 capex target to $85 billion, and Microsoft's September quarter spending exceeded $30 billion, putting it on track to top $100 billion annually. Trending Investment OpportunitiesAdvertisementArrivedBuy shares of homes and vacation rentals for as little as $100. Get StartedWiserAdvisorGet matched with a trusted, local financial advisor for free.Get StartedPoint.comTap into your home's equity to consolidate debt or fund a renovation.Get StartedRobinhoodMove your 401k to Robinhood and get a 3% match on deposits.Get StartedOpenAI Vs. Microsoft According to reports in March, tensions have emerged between OpenAI and Microsoft as both companies push for greater control over their partnership's future. OpenAI is working to scale back Microsoft's ownership stake, reduce its revenue share, and assert more autonomy. In contrast, Microsoft aims to safeguard its investment and maintain priority access to OpenAI's technology. These disagreements have prompted internal discussions at OpenAI about accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive practices. Read Next: Samsung In Talks With OpenAI And Perplexity AI For Galaxy S26 Photo Courtesy Pungu x via Shutterstock GOOGLAlphabet Inc$189.21-1.40%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum54.98Growth68.34Quality81.39Value51.16Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMETAMeta Platforms Inc$750.31-2.99%MSFTMicrosoft Corp$524.78-1.63%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

OpenAI Bags $8.3 Billion At $300 Billion Valuation, Closes Round Early As Investors Rush In, Signaling Soaring Confidence And Quiet March Toward A Future IPO

OpenAI is focused on taking some major leaps to mark its place in the AI space and keeps on releasing products and initiatives that tend to reiterate its ambitious approach. Its recent move, however, can be termed as the biggest fundraising step in the tech industry, having the potential to reshape the power dynamics in the AI industry. The ChatGPT creator has been able to secure $8.3 billion in new funding, bringing its valuation to a massive $300 billion. The funds generated come from a mix of high-profile equity and venture capital firms meant to help the company establish itself as a long-term player in artificial intelligence. According to a New York Times report, the funding generated includes capital from both existing and new investors, which include Blackstone, TPG, T.Rowe Price, and Fidelity Management. This mix of seasoned venture firms and major institutional players emphasizes how OpenAI is stepping up to the same level as the other top-tier tech companies. The AI firm has been able to secure $8.3 billion in new funding that brings its valuation to a staggering $300 billion. It also fulfills the company's broader goal of pushing for $40 billion by the end of 2025. What seems even more interesting than the amount raised by OpenAI is how promptly it was able to do it. It was reportedly oversubscribed and wrapped up way ahead of schedule, reflecting how strong investor demand is. OpenAI as a brand was able to show such a remarkable transformation, especially considering that it was a non-profit organization not long ago. It also signifies the company pivoting in a bold and dramatic new direction. OpenAI is also determined to change its identity by positioning itself as a public tech company and laying the capital foundation for it, allowing it to lead and dominate in the AI space in both consumer and enterprise markets. While there would be growing competition from Google DeepMind, Meta, and Anthropic, the company would stay tall by its ability to scale responsibly and profitably, and even establish itself as a future pillar of the global tech economy. The funds raised signal more than just capital and trend; they represent the company's long-term vision and strategic timing. While the IPO has not been officially announced, we believe it is quite clear that OpenAI is ready to go public.

OpenAI Raises New Funding to Hit $300 Billion Valuation | PYMNTS.com

The largest investor was Dragoneer Investment Group, which committed $2.8 billion. DealBook called it an "astonishing check" from a single venture fund that "may be one of the largest ever written." Business subscribers to ChatGPT have grown to 5 million, up 67% from 3 million a few months ago, according to DealBook. Business users typically buy the more expensive subscriptions for enterprise use. Overall, ChatGPT is the dominant AI chatbot in use, commanding 80% of all generative AI tool traffic as of May, according to Similarweb. OpenAI Set to Launch GPT-5 in August While Simplifying Offerings Stargate Dials Back Near-Term Goal Amid Disagreement Over Data Center Sites