AI startup Openai reported closing a funding round led by Thrive Capital and the participation of other tech companies like Microsoft and Nvidia. The $6.6 billion raised would be used to expand its set of tools and raise its computing capacity, which needs to increase significantly to train new AI models.
AI Powerhouse Openai Raises $6.6B Achieving a $157B Valuation
This article was published more than a year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
WRITTEN BY
SHARE
AI Company Openai Aims To Increase Computing Power After $6.6B Funding Round
Openai, one of the pioneering companies in the applied artificial intelligence (AI) field, has raised $6.6 billion in its latest funding round, which seeks to empower the company with new tools to advance its mission of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The company, which claims to be serving over 250 million people weekly with its Chatgpt bot, reached a valuation of $157 billion, putting it on the list of the most valuable private companies in the world. The funding round was led by Thrive Capital, which was reported to be investing $1 billion before, and had the participation of big tech names like Microsoft, which has partnered several times with Openai before, and Nvidia, one of the largest AI chip designers.
The funds raised will expand the company’s possibilities of acquiring the necessary equipment to perform its computing-intensive tasks. In an official release, Openai stated:
The new funding will allow us to double down on our leadership in frontier AI research, increase compute capacity, and continue building tools that help people solve hard problems.
The company also referred to its recent collaboration with the U.S. government, declaring that “by collaborating with key partners, we can unlock this technology’s full potential.” Openai and Anthropic must provide their AI models for testing to the U.S. government according to agreements inked in August.
However, the company did not clarify the claims about a for-profit pivot, which would seek to make the company more interesting for potential investors. Sources with knowledge of the matter disclosed the move would also allow CEO San Altman to receive equity.
What do you think about Openai’s new $6.6 billion funding raise? Tell us in the comments section below.
