Thrive will invest about $1 billion in the round, said one of the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the fundraising has not been made public. OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told employees in a memo Wednesday that the company is seeking fresh capital, without giving details, according to people familiar with the matter.
OpenAI has been in preliminary talks to raise funding at a valuation of $100 billion or more since at least December, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg News late last year.
The funding would create one of the world’s most valuable venture-backed startups, underscoring the growing demand for generative artificial intelligence software after OpenAI captured public interest with its easy-to-use chatbot, ChatGPT. The success of OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft Corp., also kicked off an arms race among the largest tech companies, which are integrating artificial intelligence technology into their products and funding other promising startups.
In his note to employees, Friar said the funding will cover the need for computing power and other operating expenses, according to the sources. He also told staff that the company aims to offer a tender, in which employees will be able to sell some of their shares, later this year. He added that these talks are still in the early stages and that details are yet to be confirmed.
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