Stripe will reportedly acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for $7B+

Stripe has reportedly finalized a deal to acquire OpenRouter, an AI gateway startup that lets customers access and choose among hundreds of AI models based on task and budget. OpenRouter raised a $113 million Series B in May at a reported $1.3 billion valuation and claimed 8 million global users.

The reported price suggests Stripe sees model routing and unified AI access as a major infrastructure layer, not just a developer convenience. If completed, the deal could accelerate consolidation around AI middleware as enterprises seek flexibility, lower costs, and less dependence on any single model provider.