Stripe may acquire AI gateway service provider OpenRouter for over 1.1 trillion yen.

Bloomberg reports that financial services platform Stripe has signed an agreement to acquire AI gateway service OpenRouter . The acquisition is expected to be worth over $7 billion (approximately 1.1 trillion yen).

Stripe Finalizes Deal to Acquire AI Startup OpenRouter for Over $7 Billion - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-16/stripe-nears-deal-to-buy-ai-firm-openrouter-for-over-7-billion

Stripe will reportedly acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for $7B+ | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/16/stripe-will-reportedly-acquire-ai-gateway-startup-openrouter-for-7b/

OpenRouter is an AI gateway service that allows customers to select different AI models to perform various tasks according to their individual needs and budgets. OpenRouter raised $113 million (approximately 18 billion yen) in Series B funding in May 2026, and its company valuation is estimated at $1.3 billion (approximately 210 billion yen). OpenRouter's investors include venture capital firms Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz , Menlo Ventures , and Capital G , a subsidiary of Alphabet.

OpenRouter CEO Alex Atala likened the company to an AI version of Stripe, explaining that it aims to provide customers with a single access point to various systems and prevent vendor lock-in . OpenRouter claims to have 8 million users worldwide and provides access to more than 400 AI models.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that Stripe was working on acquiring OpenRouter. The Wall Street Journal's report from the end of July 2026 suggested that the deal could be announced soon, but that negotiations could break down or another bidder could emerge. While the acquisition price was not disclosed, it was reported to be around $10 billion (approximately 1.6 trillion yen).

Exclusive | Stripe in Talks to Buy Buzzy AI-Model Marketplace OpenRouter - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/stripe-in-talks-to-buy-buzzy-ai-model-marketplace-openrouter-decc6a74

However, Bloomberg reported that the acquisition of OpenRouter would be priced at around $7 billion.

TechCrunch has reached out to Stripe for comment, but the company has only responded by saying, 'We do not comment on rumors or speculation.'