Total amount raised
$21.9 Billion
Latest funding date
10/1/2024
Location
OpenAI has successfully raised significant funding through 12 rounds, attracting a diverse group of 48 investors. The company has also made 26 investments and established the OpenAI Startup Fund.
Keep reading to explore the intricacies of OpenAI's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is OpenAI?
OpenAI, founded in 2015, is a leading AI research and deployment company based in San Francisco, California. The company operates in various AI-related fields, including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing.
With a workforce of 5001-10000 employees, OpenAI is known for developing advanced AI models like ChatGPT. The company focuses on ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity, emphasizing safety, security, and ethical considerations in AI development.
How Much Funding Has OpenAI Raised?
- Corporate Round
- Amount Raised: USD 1,000,000,000
- Date: January 2023
- Lead Investors: Microsoft
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To strengthen strategic partnership and support AI research and development.
- Secondary Market
- Amount Raised: USD 300,000,000
- Date: April 2023
- Lead Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, K2 Global, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To provide liquidity for early investors and employees.
- Secondary Market
- Amount Raised: USD 9,500,000,000
- Date: February 2024
- Lead Investors: Thrive Capital
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To support the company's rapid growth and expansion.
- Series Unknown
- Amount Raised: USD 6,600,000,000
- Date: October 2024
- Lead Investors: Thrive Capital, Microsoft, Nvidia, SoftBank
- Valuation at Round: USD 157,000,000,000
- Motivation Behind the Round: To sustain the advancement of AI operations and cover high computational costs.
- Debt Financing
- Amount Raised: USD 4,000,000,000
- Date: October 2024
- Lead Investors: JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Santander Bank, Wells Fargo, SMBC, UBS Group, HSBC
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To invest in high-cost computational resources and enhance financial flexibility.
- Series Unknown
- Amount Raised: USD 40,000,000,000
- Date: March 2025
- Lead Investors: SoftBank
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To accelerate AI research and development initiatives.
- Secondary Market
- Amount Raised: USD 6,600,000,000
- Date: October 2025
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To provide liquidity for shareholders and support ongoing projects.
- Corporate Round
- Amount Raised: USD 1,000,000,000
- Date: December 2025
- Lead Investors: The Walt Disney Company
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To explore synergies between AI and entertainment industries.
OpenAI has raised a total of USD 69,000,000,000 with a current valuation of USD 157,000,000,000.
Key Investors
- The Walt Disney Company
- Details: The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment conglomerate known for its film studios, theme parks, and media networks. It has a significant presence in the entertainment industry and is a lead investor in OpenAI's corporate round.
- Investment Focus Areas: Entertainment, media, technology.
- Notable Investments: Hulu, Pixar, Marvel Studios.
- SoftBank
- Details: SoftBank is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company known for its investments in technology, energy, and financial sectors. It is one of the major investors in OpenAI's funding rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, telecommunications, energy.
- Notable Investments: Alibaba, WeWork, Arm Holdings.
- Thrive Capital
- Details: Thrive Capital is a venture capital firm that focuses on technology investments. It led a $6.6 billion investment round in OpenAI.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, internet, software.
- Notable Investments: Instagram, GitHub, Stripe.
- Microsoft
- Details: Microsoft is a leading global technology company known for its software products, cloud services, and hardware. It is a significant corporate backer of OpenAI.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, cloud computing, artificial intelligence.
- Notable Investments: LinkedIn, GitHub, OpenAI.
- Andreessen Horowitz
- Details: Andreessen Horowitz is a private venture capital firm that invests in early-stage and growth-stage technology companies. It participated in OpenAI's funding rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, software, healthcare.
- Notable Investments: Facebook, Airbnb, Lyft.
What's Next for OpenAI?
OpenAI stands at the cusp of unprecedented growth, buoyed by a $4 billion credit line and a $6.6 billion funding round, bringing its total liquidity to over $10 billion. This financial muscle allows OpenAI to invest heavily in AI research, infrastructure, and talent acquisition, positioning it to compete with tech giants like Google. The company’s valuation has soared to $157 billion, reflecting immense market potential and investor confidence.
Future fundraising opportunities appear promising, with the potential for an initial public offering (IPO) and additional credit facilities. The secured line of credit provides flexibility for strategic initiatives without diluting ownership, suggesting that OpenAI could further scale its operations or enter new markets. However, the company faces challenges such as high operational costs and intense competition, which could impact its financial stability and growth trajectory.
Use Clay to Get Funding Data
Sales professionals, take your strategy to the next level by leveraging Clay’s platform to access comprehensive fundraising data on companies like OpenAI and gather other critical business insights. Sign up for free and unlock the potential of data-driven decision-making today.
