OpenAI, the company behind the popular AI assistant ChatGPT, is in advanced talks to raise $6.5 billion from investors in a new round of funding. This round could increase the company’s value to an impressive 150 billion US dollars and marks another significant step in the rapid expansion of AI technology.
The most important facts in a nutshell
- Target amount: OpenAI is seeking $6.5 billion to fund its AI development and infrastructure.
- Main investors: Thrive Capital is leading the round, with Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia also showing interest.
- Valuation: The new round could increase the company’s value to 150 billion US dollars.
- Strategy: The money will primarily be used to cover high operating costs and for more computing capacity.
Investors and strategic partners of OpenAI
Thrive Capital, led by Josh Kushner, is apparently leading the funding round. Thrive has already established a close relationship with OpenAI, which further deepens the collaboration in this round. Microsoft, which has invested over 13 billion US dollars in OpenAI since 2019, remains a key player and is focusing on integrating AI technologies into its Azure platform. Apple and Nvidia are also said to be in talks about an investment, as can be seen in a report by the stock market experts at Kavout, among others. Nvidia plays a crucial role here, as its GPUs form the basis of many of the models developed by OpenAI.
Purpose of the financing round
The majority of the funds raised will be used to expand the vast computing power required to develop advanced AI models. OpenAI is working on new models such as “Strawberry” that will be even more powerful, resulting in significant infrastructure costs. The AI developer is also planning to raise a further 5 billion US dollars in debt with the help of a revolving credit facility in order to be able to react flexibly to financial challenges.
Conclusion
This funding round is crucial for OpenAI to extend its technological leadership in the AI industry. With the support of heavyweights such as Thrive Capital, Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia, the company will not only improve its infrastructure, but also increase the pressure on its competitors. OpenAI is moving towards a possible stock market listing and is likely to play a key role in the future of artificial intelligence
