OpenAI is currently in discussions with investors regarding a new funding round aiming to raise at least $30 billion, with a valuation of approximately $1.4 trillion prior to the capital influx. As reported by Bloomberg, these talks are in the early stages, meaning terms may still change.
This new funding round is intended to bolster OpenAI's financial position following a shift in its plans for an initial public offering (IPO). According to a source cited by Bloomberg, some of the interest in this funding is coming directly from the investors themselves.
OpenAI has not publicly confirmed either the amount of the potential funding round or the associated valuation. The company did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
If negotiations conclude with the proposed terms, OpenAI's valuation would significantly surpass the $110 billion recorded during its February funding round, which was valued at $730 billion. Notable participants in that round included Amazon ($50 billion), Nvidia, and SoftBank (both at $30 billion).
As of March 31, OpenAI announced $122 billion in confirmed investor commitments at a valuation of $852 billion after securing capital.
The discussions come amid a rapid growth trajectory for OpenAI's business. Bloomberg reported in August that the company was on track for an annual revenue exceeding $40 billion. By September 29, that figure had risen to nearly $70 billion, according to a source from Reuters.
Since the start of the third quarter, the annual revenue growth rate has surged by over 70%. Corporate sales have more than doubled since July, while the consumer segment in the third quarter has generated more revenue than throughout the entire year of 2025.
Security Concerns
The additional private funding round is being discussed after OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, ruled out an IPO for the company in 2026. He cited security concerns and the need for further work on ensuring the consistency of advanced model behaviors as reasons for this decision.
During DevDay on September 29, Altman reiterated that the timeline for going public is tied to these same issues. He emphasized that OpenAI must be able to convincingly justify the safety of its models before pursuing a public listing. However, he also noted that delaying the IPO for too long is not ideal.
It is worth mentioning that in September, OpenAI canceled the public release of GPT-6.1 Astra due to deteriorating safety metrics and concerns about user intent.
Follow ForkLog on social media
Telegram (main channel) Facebook X