Softbank will only pour 20 billion, icluding a 10 billion syndication, if ChatGPT developer does not become a for-profit business by the end of 2025
OpenAI, the scaleup that developed ChatGPT, secured a 40 billion US Dollars round that includes a 10 billion syndicated facility from its investor Softbank on the ground of a pre-money value of 260 billion and post-money 300 billion (OpenAI and Softbank).
Reuters reported that Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital will co-invest with the Japanese banking giant.
OpenAI will receive a first 10 billion tranche in April 2025 and up to 30 billion by December 2025. However, OpenAI must turn into a for-profit business by the end of 2025 for securing all such resources, otherwise Softbank will pour up to 20 billion including a syndicated facility of 10 billion.
OpenAI Corporate Structure
OpenAI was born in 2015 as a non-profit firm for AI research and now controls the for-profit arm of the business since 2019 (company milestones).
Previous press reports speculated that the company’s post-money value could amount to 340 billion (see here a previous post by BeBeez). In October 2024, OpenAI raised 6.6 billion US Dollars for a 157 billion post-money value from Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, Microsoft, Nvidia, Altimeter Capital, Fidelity, SoftBank, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX.
Softbank said that before this last round it invested a total of 2.2 billion in OpenAI through SoftBank Vision Fund 2. In January 2025, Oracle, Softbank and OpenAI signed the 500 billion partnership for Stargate Project which received the endorsement of the Donald Trump administration (see here a previous post by BeBeez)
