Bloomberg reported that Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire OpenRouter, an AI gateway startup, for a price said to exceed $7 billion. A Stripe spokesperson declined to comment on the reported transaction.
Deal context
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Stripe and OpenRouter had held acquisition talks. Bloomberg’s reporting gives a deal value of more than $7 billion, though neither company has confirmed terms publicly.
What OpenRouter does and its recent history
OpenRouter positions itself as an access point that lets customers route tasks to different AI models based on need and budget. In May the company announced a $113 million Series B round, which was reported at a $1.3 billion valuation. Investors listed in that round include Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Menlo Ventures and Alphabet’s Capital G.
OpenRouter has described its service as a single gateway intended to avoid vendor lock-in; CEO Alex Atallah has likened the company to “the equivalent of Stripe for AI,” according to his public remarks. The startup has said it serves 8 million global users and provides access to more than 400 models.
The reported acquisition would mark a notable transaction in the market for infrastructure that connects customers to multiple AI models. Available public statements are limited: Stripe did not confirm the report when asked, and OpenRouter has not provided additional comment beyond its prior funding and user disclosures.
Reported facts: the deal price is said to be above $7 billion; OpenRouter raised $113 million in May at a reported $1.3 billion valuation; investors named include Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Menlo Ventures and Alphabet’s Capital G; OpenRouter has claimed 8 million users and access to over 400 models.
Original source: TechCrunch AI