tech
What's behind Stripe's OpenRouter move
The talks say a lot about Stripe's ambition to represent the "GDP of the internet."
TL;DR
- Stripe is in talks to acquire OpenRouter for around $10 billion.
- OpenRouter allows companies to switch between different AI models, a sought-after capability for cost control.
- The acquisition aligns with Stripe's ambition to represent the "GDP of the internet."
- OpenRouter's revenue model, charging a percentage fee on AI model costs, is similar to payment firms.
- AI tokens are becoming increasingly important, with companies like Ramp also developing routing products.
- OpenRouter was previously valued at $1.3 billion, indicating significant investor interest.