OpenAI is closing in on a new funding round of up to $30 billion at a $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation, according to people familiar with the deal cited by CNBC. Investors from the United Arab Emirates are leading the round alongside Coatue, and the financing is being framed as an "opportunistic" bridge ahead of a potential initial public offering.
The size of the round is still being determined. OpenAI told investors on Thursday that it aims to secure signatures by the end of next week, the sources said, after discussions began in September when investors approached the company with proposals.
OpenAI funding round details
The $1.25 trillion figure is a pre-money valuation, meaning it does not include the fresh capital being raised. The deal is positioned as a stopgap rather than a final private raise, giving OpenAI more room before it tests public markets.
- Up to $30 billion raised, per sources
- $1.25 trillion pre-money valuation, excluding new capital
- Round led by investors from the UAE alongside Coatue
- Signatures targeted for the end of next week; final size not yet fixed
- Part of a longer push toward roughly $600 billion in total compute spend by 2030
