Bloomberg quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that OpenAI is raising a new round of financing at a valuation of US$100 billion or more, and relevant negotiations are still in the early stages. The deal will solidify the ChatGPT maker's position as one of the world's most valuable startups.
Not much information about the investors who may participate in this round of financing has been disclosed, and details such as the terms, valuation and timing of this round of financing have not yet been finalized and may still change. According to data from CBInsights , if this round of financing goes as planned, OpenAI will become the second most valuable startup in the United States, second only to Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technology Company (SpaceX).
OpenAI declined to comment.
OpenAI has also held discussions with Abu Dhabi's G42 to raise funds for a new chip joint venture, people familiar with the matter said. OpenAI has discussed raising $8 billion to $10 billion from G42, one of the people said. It's unclear whether there is a connection between the chip joint venture and the company's broader financing plans.
In fact, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been seeking funding for a chip manufacturing project codenamed Tigris. The goal is to produce semiconductors that can compete with Nvidia Semiconductors, Bloomberg reported last month.
In October, G42 announced a partnership with OpenAI to "provide cutting-edge artificial intelligence solutions to the UAE and regional markets," but did not announce specific financial details. G42 was founded in 2018 and is led by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE National Security Advisor and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
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