August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 Stripe is reportedly set to acquire AI startup OpenRouter for more than $7 billion, in a deal that would significantly expand the payments company’s presence in the artificial intelligence infrastructure market. The two sides have reached an agreement, although the final value could still change and the transaction has not yet been publicly confirmed by Stripe. Founded in 2023, OpenRouter provides developers with a single platform to access and switch between hundreds of AI models from different providers. The platform handles model routing, allowing users to select models based on factors such as performance, availability and cost. OpenRouter has reported around 8 million users globally and access to more than 400 AI models.