Stripe Reportedly Nears $7 Billion Deal to Buy AI Gateway OpenRouter
Stripe has reportedly finalized a deal to acquire OpenRouter for more than $7 billion, according to Bloomberg. The reported acquisition price represents a dramatic jump from OpenRouter's $1.3 billion valuation in May, when the startup announces a $113 million Series B round backed by investors including Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Menlo Ventures, and Alphabet's CapitalG.
OpenRouter operates an AI gateway that helps customers select different AI models for different tasks based on their needs and budget. The company claims 8 million global users and access to more than 400 models. OpenRouter CEO Alex Atallah describes the company as the equivalent of Stripe for AI, providing a single access point to multiple systems while preventing vendor lock-in.
The Wall Street Journal first reports acquisition talks between the two companies last month, and Bloomberg now says those discussions lead to a finalized deal. A Stripe spokesperson tells TechCrunch that the company does not comment on rumors or speculation, so an official announcement may still be pending.