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OpenAI Set to Secure $40 Billion to Fuel AI Ambitions
OpenAI is preparing to raise as much as $40 billion in a funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank Group, a move that could more than double the company’s valuation to $300 billion. The announcement, made on March 31, signals the scale of OpenAI’s ambitions and the level of capital now flowing into the artificial intelligence sector.
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The new investment round is expected to unfold in two parts. SoftBank will contribute an initial $10 billion by mid-April, followed by a potential $30 billion injection in December. The second tranche is contingent upon OpenAI completing a transition to a for-profit corporate structure by the end of the year.
This strategic reshaping would mark a turning point for the San Francisco-based AI firm, known widely for its chatbot ChatGPT, which serves over 500 million weekly users.
Funding Milestone Reflects AI Sector’s Meteoric Rise
The planned raise comes just six months after OpenAI closed a $6.6 billion funding round at a valuation of $157 billion. The new capital would nearly double that figure, placing OpenAI among the most valuable private companies globally—alongside firms like SpaceX, ByteDance, and Stripe.
Investor interest in artificial intelligence has grown dramatically in recent years, fueled by both technological breakthroughs and market adoption. Enterprises across sectors have incorporated AI to improve workflows, develop new products, and streamline customer support. This surge in usage has prompted intense competition among venture capital firms and institutional backers to support the most promising developers.
OpenAI’s valuation leap reflects confidence not only in its tools, but also in its roadmap, which includes expanding compute capacity, enhancing model capabilities, and deepening AI’s integration across industries.
SoftBank Takes the Lead, With Syndication Planned
SoftBank Group, known for its outsized bets in emerging technologies, will lead the round. The company stated it would finance the first $10 billion through a mix of resources, including loans from Mizuho Bank and other financial institutions.
The remainder of its investment, planned for December, will depend on OpenAI’s structural conversion to a for-profit public benefit corporation. This change is intended to enable greater access to capital while maintaining a balance between shareholder value and broader public interests.
SoftBank also plans to syndicate $10 billion of its total investment to other firms. While no names were officially disclosed, individuals familiar with the matter have pointed to potential co-investors including Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital.
If OpenAI does not complete its restructuring, SoftBank said it would reduce its investment in the round to $20 billion.
Infrastructure Expansion and Project Stargate
Beyond model development and product refinement, a significant portion of the new funding is expected to support large-scale infrastructure growth. OpenAI is currently working with SoftBank and Oracle to build a distributed network of AI-focused data centers under the Stargate project.
With a projected cost of $500 billion, Stargate aims to create a nationwide backbone for AI computation. This would position OpenAI to handle increasingly complex workloads while maintaining control over the hardware environment in which its models operate.
The collaboration is another indication of how artificial intelligence is reshaping capital allocation in the tech sector. Data centers, once seen as commoditized infrastructure, are now strategic assets in a competition that revolves around processing power and availability.
Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s chairman and CEO, described the initiative as a critical part of shaping humanity’s future through AI. The partnership with OpenAI, he said, reflects a shared vision to realize the full potential of the technology.
Transitioning to a Public Benefit Corporation
To facilitate larger investments and broaden its funding options, OpenAI plans to transition to a public benefit corporation (PBC) structure. This model allows the firm to raise capital while embedding social responsibility into its charter. In practice, it’s intended to assure investors that OpenAI’s commercial goals won’t override its mission to develop safe and beneficial AI.
The move could make OpenAI more appealing to institutional investors and regulatory bodies, especially as governments worldwide grapple with how to oversee and manage the implications of artificial intelligence.
A PBC status could also offer structural stability to OpenAI’s complex governance model, which currently balances nonprofit oversight with for-profit subsidiaries. By unifying under a single entity, OpenAI may gain clarity and flexibility in how it operates going forward.
Microsoft’s Continuing Role
Microsoft, which has invested heavily in OpenAI over the past several years, is expected to participate in the new funding round. The tech giant has already embedded OpenAI’s models into its own ecosystem, including products like Bing, Azure, and Office.
As AI tools become core features in consumer and enterprise applications, Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI remains a strategic pillar of its future offerings. Additional investment would not only solidify its access to cutting-edge models but also help fund infrastructure that benefits both companies.
Microsoft’s ongoing involvement reflects the growing importance of AI in defining the next era of software and platform development.
Fintech and AI: A Converging Opportunity
While OpenAI is best known for its generative models and conversational tools, the implications of its work are being felt across fintech and financial services. AI is already transforming customer onboarding, fraud detection, credit scoring, and portfolio management. With more advanced models on the horizon, these capabilities are expected to deepen.
As OpenAI secures new funding, fintech platforms and institutions are watching closely. The ability to plug AI directly into their ecosystems could improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency—key priorities in an increasingly competitive financial environment.
Moreover, the Stargate project and its infrastructure could pave the way for more accessible and reliable AI services that fintech firms can integrate without building their own back-end infrastructure.
Legal and Advisory Oversight
The funding round is being facilitated with legal guidance from Morrison Foerster, a U.S.-based firm with experience in technology transactions and corporate restructuring. Their role underscores the complexity of the deal, particularly around governance changes and cross-border investments.
As OpenAI aligns its structure with the demands of larger capital inflows, legal clarity and regulatory compliance are expected to become ongoing priorities.
A Seat Among the Giants
Upon closing, OpenAI’s valuation would place it in rare company. Only a few private firms in history have reached or exceeded the $300 billion mark. Achieving this milestone highlights not only the strength of OpenAI’s product pipeline, but also investor confidence in artificial intelligence as a transformative force in the global economy.
The funding round represents a new chapter in OpenAI’s evolution—from a research-focused lab to one of the most powerful private companies driving the next wave of technology.
As the company scales its reach, builds out critical infrastructure, and reshapes its internal structure, it is positioning itself to become a dominant force across multiple sectors—tech, finance, enterprise software, and beyond.
