OpenAI raises $11bn funding round valuing it at $1.25tn

OpenAI has reportedly raised $11 billion in a new funding round that values the AI lab at $1.25 trillion, Bloomberg said on Friday citing sources familiar with the matter. The money forms part of a larger round that has not yet closed, a source told Bloomberg, adding the total could reach about $20 billion and may be finalised in the coming weeks.

Bloomberg earlier reported in late September that OpenAI was seeking $30 billion in the upcoming round, a target that now appears considerably higher than the amount raised so far. TechCrunch has contacted OpenAI for comment and will update the story if it receives a response.

The funding news follows another Bloomberg report that potential buyers of shares in the IPO of OpenAI’s rival Anthropic may be valuing the company as low as $1.1 trillion, down from the $2 trillion investors were said to expect a month earlier. OpenAI had previously signalled an intention to go public this year but later postponed those plans, with expectations now that an IPO could occur next year.

Bloomberg noted that the AI market is in a precarious position after the Democratic landslide in the U.S. midterms and widespread voter concern about data‑centre impacts, which could lead to regulatory challenges ahead.