OpenAI Explores $30 Billion Bridge Round at $1.4 Trillion Valuation
The ChatGPT maker is reportedly seeking massive pre-IPO funding after postponing its public market debut to next year.
OpenAI is in preliminary talks to raise at least $30 billion from investors in a pre-IPO bridge round that would value the company at roughly $1.4 trillion, according to reporting from Bloomberg detailed by TechCrunch AI (https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/29/openai-repotedly-in-talks-to-raise-30b-round-at-1-4t-valuation/).
The capital injection is intended to support operations ahead of an anticipated initial public offering next year. OpenAI had previously secured $122 billion in March at an $852 billion valuation, a transaction executives originally positioned as the company's final private fundraising effort before listing shares in 2026.
That timeline shifted after chief executive Sam Altman ruled out a 2026 debut, citing the need to prioritize artificial intelligence safety and alignment research. "I think it is unacceptable to be taking like a 10% chance of killing everybody by the end of the decade," Altman recently told Fortune regarding researcher warnings over existential risk.
The reported talks follow a rapid acceleration in commercial performance. After competitor Anthropic briefly outpaced OpenAI early in the year, OpenAI refocused resources on high-demand applications such as coding tools. The pivot helped drive a 70% increase in run-rate revenue since July, pushing annualized revenue to $40 billion in August.
Sources
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