According to the latest TechCrunch report, OpenAI has successfully raised $11 billion in a new funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.25 trillion. People familiar with the matter said the funds are part of a larger financing plan that has not yet been finalized and is expected to be fully settled in the coming weeks, with the final total potentially reaching around $20 billion.
Earlier in late September, market rumors suggested OpenAI aimed to raise $30 billion, and the actual amount raised so far indicates a certain pullback in expectations.
The news of this funding round comes as the AI primary market faces a period of adjustment. Just hours earlier, the expected valuations of potential buyers for its main competitor Anthropic fell significantly, with some valuations even dropping from $2 trillion a month ago to around $1.1 trillion. Combined with changes in the political landscape after the U.S. midterm elections and widespread public caution about data center placement, the entire AI sector is now facing a tougher macroeconomic environment and potential regulatory challenges.
Although market sentiment is turning more conservative, the progress of OpenAI’s massive funding round still highlights the powerful black-hole effect of leading large-model companies in attracting enormous compute power and R&D capital. As its IPO preparations continue to advance, the capital market’s valuation logic for AI unicorns is shifting from early-stage frenzied expansion toward commercialization and risk resilience. This subtle shift in capital sentiment may profoundly reshape the future competitive landscape and resource allocation trends of the AI industry.
