Stripe to acquire AI firm OpenRouter for $7 billion

Payments infrastructure giant Stripe has agreed to acquire OpenRouter, an artificial intelligence gateway company, in a deal valued at $7 billion, according to a Bloomberg report. The transaction marks one of the largest M&A moves in the AI infrastructure space.

OpenRouter serves as a gateway for developers to access a variety of AI models through a single interface. Stripe, known for its online payment processing services, has been expanding its footprint in the AI economy, particularly around enabling developers to monetize AI applications.

The acquisition suggests that Stripe is looking to integrate AI model routing and access directly into its payments ecosystem. By owning the gateway layer, Stripe could offer developers a seamless way to both build with AI and handle payments, potentially simplifying the process of charging for AI-driven features.

The deal underscores the increasing convergence of payments and AI. As AI becomes more embedded in software products, companies that control both the transaction layer and the AI access layer could gain a strategic advantage. Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the matter, though the companies have not officially commented.