(Nov 7): OpenAI has closed on new funding of roughly US$11 billion (RM44.7 billion), the initial part of a round that values the company at US$1.25 trillion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The funding was wired to the company as of Friday, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. The remainder of the round, which could increase to as much as US$20 billion in total, is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, one person said.

The AI developer has been in talks for more than a month to raise a large funding round after delaying its plans for an initial public offering (IPO). OpenAI initially set out to raise US$30 billion or more at a US$1.4 trillion valuation, Bloomberg News has reported, before scaling back its plans amid a public market rout for the AI sector.

OpenAI declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal previously reported some details of the funding.

Investors that contributed to the first funding close include Coatue Management and T Rowe Price, the people said. Other investors in the round include SoftBank Group Corp, Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz, people said. A syndicate of backers from the United Arab Emirates also joined, Bloomberg News has reported. 

OpenAI is also working with investment banks to raise from high-net-worth individuals and retail investors, the people said.

Softbank, Founders Fund and T Rowe Price declined to comment. Coatue, Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia didn't immediately respond to requests for comments. 

The reduced funding goals represent a stark shift for a fundraising juggernaut that helped usher in the current artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The sentiment around AI has also changed dramatically since the round kicked off, due to concerns about the spending spree on physical infrastructure for AI and the potential for new roadblocks to data centre construction following the US midterm elections.

Prospective investors in OpenAI rival Anthropic PBC’s upcoming IPO are also rethinking the Claude maker’s valuation. Potential buyers are discussing about a US$1.2 trillion to US$1.3 trillion valuation range for Anthropic, Bloomberg News has reported, down from US$1.5 trillion previously. 

OpenAI most recently raised US$122 billion in a March funding round at an US$852 billion valuation. 

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee