Stripe acquires AI startup OpenRouter for $7.5 billion to enter AI model market

Payments giant Stripe acquired AI startup OpenRouter in a deal reportedly worth $7.5 billion to enter the AI model market.
OpenRouter has become popular among developers because it offers affordable access to open-weight AI models, particularly from Chinese labs like DeepSeek.
Stripe said the deal would help optimise token costs and manage AI model pricing amid rapid releases and repricing.
Stripe, valued at nearly $160 billion, previously acquired stablecoin platform Bridge for $1.1 billion last year.

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