03/09/2024
OpenAI is reportedly considering plans to overhaul its corporate structure to make itself more investor friendly ahead of a multi-billion dollar fundraising round that is expected to draw in finance from Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia.
The artificial intelligence organization has talked to investors about moving even further away from its current non-profit structure, including by possibly removing a cap on profits paid out to investors from OpenAI’s for-profit subsidiary, the Financial Times reported, citing three sources.
OpenAI, which was first started in 2015, currently consists of an overarching non-profit organization which sits in full control of the ChatGPT developer’s for-profit subsidiary, to ensure it works to further the non-profit organization’s mission.
Any profits received by OpenAI’s investors, including top shareholder Microsoft are currently capped at sums equivalent to 100 times the value of the initial investment.
Apple and Nvidia are reportedly in talks to invest in ChatGPT creator OpenAI by taking part in a multi-billion dollar funding round led by venture capital firm Thrive Capital, according to the Wall Street Journal.
OpenAI’s for-profit subsidiary was launched in 2019 in line with plans to make it easier to draw in private investment and in order to give the startup the ability to grant employees stock options, with a view to boosting its recruitment efforts.
On its website, OpenAI says it exists as an organization to “build artificial general intelligence that is safe and benefits all of humanity.” The startup says investors would be wise to view any investments “in the spirit of a donation.”
The AI research organization is currently pushing ahead with plans for a new fundraising round that could see it valued at over $100 billion, making it one of the most valuable startups to ever come out of Silicon Valley.
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