Stripe acquires AI marketplace OpenRouter in $8 billion deal
The payments giant’s latest move into the artificial intelligence sector sees it buy the token routing platform, a transaction valued at slightly more than US$8 billion.
Payments firm Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an artificial intelligence marketplace that assists businesses in routing and optimising token usage. The deal, which is valued at slightly more than US$8 billion according to a source familiar with the matter, marks a significant expansion for the fintech into the fast-growing AI industry.
The acquisition deepens a year-long push by Stripe into the AI sector, which has included the launch of products such as token billing to track AI model consumption. As soaring bills drive companies toward cheaper models and routing tools, platforms like OpenRouter have become popular testing grounds for new systems, allowing developers to send queries to dozens of AI models through a single interface.
Stripe chief executive Patrick Collison stated that tokens are the "central currency" for companies building with AI. He noted that the real-world economic potential of the sector will depend on making good use of scarce compute resources.
Founded in 2023, OpenRouter processes more than 10 trillion tokens per day from over 400 AI models. The platform serves a community of more than 10 million developers and companies. A Deloitte report released in March found that most surveyed companies with annual revenue of at least US$500 million expect to consume more than 10 billion tokens per month by 2028.
OpenRouter has previously raised capital from prominent investors, including Menlo Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. In May, the firm secured US$113 million in a funding round led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund.
While the companies did not officially disclose the value of the deal, Stripe declined to comment on the purchase price. OpenRouter did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The acquisition comes as Stripe, which was valued at US$159 billion in a tender offer earlier this year, also pursues a joint offer with private equity firm Advent International to buy PayPal for more than US$53 billion.
