Stripe clinches over US$7 billion deal to buy AI firm OpenRouter
OpenRouter provides access to hundreds of AI models
Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire AI firm OpenRouter for over US$7 billion, according to sources familiar with the transaction. OpenRouter, founded in 2023, provides developers access to hundreds of AI models, aiming to match them with the most efficient and cost-effective options. The acquisition, which comes months after OpenRouter raised money at a US$1.3 billion valuation, highlights the growing demand from businesses to find affordable AI solutions.
Stripe, a payments processing firm, could strengthen its position in the rapidly expanding AI sector through this purchase. The final price for the deal may vary, with discussions described as confidential by sources speaking on the condition of anonymity. OpenRouter, headquartered in New York, has attracted prominent investors such as Alphabet’s venture arm CapitalG, Andreessen Horowitz, and Menlo Ventures.
The company has attracted over 8 million developers who rely on it for access to more than 400 AI models. OpenRouter's growth stems from developers experimenting with different models to build agentic capabilities into their software, requiring a mix of infrastructure that can work across various providers and data sources.
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