Stripe to Acquire AI Gateway OpenRouter for Over $7 Billion
The acquisition, at over five times OpenRouter's last private valuation, would put a major payments platform in control of a gateway that routes usage across hundreds of AI models.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for over $7 billion, according to Bloomberg. OpenRouter lets customers choose among different AI models based on needs and budget. The startup raised $113 million in a Series B in May 2026, with a valuation of $1.3 billion. Investors include Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Menlo Ventures, and Capital G.
Stripe's move follows a Wall Street Journal report from late July that the two were in talks, with a deal possibly around $10 billion. Bloomberg now puts the figure above $7 billion. OpenRouter claims more than 8 million users worldwide and access to over 400 AI models.
CEO Alex Atara has described the company as an AI version of Stripe, offering a single access point to various systems and aiming to prevent vendor lock-in. TechCrunch sought comment from Stripe, which replied only that it does not comment on rumors or speculation.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.