The tech giants are reportedly in discussions to participate in the upcoming funding round.
Key Takeaways
- OpenAI's valuation could soar to $150 billion with new funding.
- The AI startup is also discussing a $5 billion revolving credit facility with banks.
OpenAI is seeking to raise $6.5 billion in a new funding round that could boost the company’s valuation to $150 billion, as reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. The investment is said to include Thrive Capital, Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia.
OpenAI is also exploring a $5 billion debt facility, Bloomberg noted. The new valuation would present a boost from its previous valuation of $86 billion. The investment is expected to support OpenAI’s operations, including computing power and other expenses.
OpenAI’s valuation would make it the most valuable venture-backed private company in the US after SpaceX, according to Crunchbase, and exceed the initial market cap of almost all US venture-backed startups that have gone public, except Meta (formerly Facebook).
The artificial intelligence startup, well-known for developing advanced AI models, including the GPT series, has raised approximately $13.5 billion across 11 funding rounds.
Microsoft has been the largest investor in OpenAI to date, with around $13 billion in investment. Nvidia’s potential involvement would signify a major collaboration given its role as a leading chip manufacturer essential for AI development.