SoftBank Leads Record $40B Investment to Supercharge OpenAI’s Global AI Ambitions

In what could be the largest private tech investment in history, OpenAI is on the brink of securing a staggering $40 billion in funding a milestone that would catapult its valuation to an eye-popping $300 billion, according to Bloomberg

This mega round is spearheaded by Japan’s SoftBank, with additional venture capital players reportedly lining up to join. If finalized, this would more than double OpenAI’s valuation from its previous $157 billion mark just months ago

Inside sources revealed that OpenAI generated $3.7 billion in revenue last year and expects to skyrocket to $29.4 billion in 2025. Yet, the company doesn’t foresee turning cash-flow positive until 2029, by which time revenue projections cross the $125 billion threshold.

A significant chunk of the incoming capital will be allocated to Stargate, OpenAI’s ambitious $500 billion AI infrastructure project. Stargate aims to build cutting-edge data centers across the U.S., enabling the next generation of AI capabilities. The initiative is backed not just by SoftBank, but also by Oracle and Dubai-based sovereign fund MGX

Meanwhile, OpenAI and SoftBank have also launched a joint venture targeting the Japanese market with enterprise-grade AI products, a move that signals their intent to dominate globally

As the AI boom sweeps through the enterprise landscape, financial leaders are feeling both the pressure and the opportunity. Alex Hoffmann, North America GM at Edenred Pay, shared insights with PYMNTS about how CFOs can harness AI’s power in traditionally manual processes like accounts payable (AP)

Despite years of talk, 84% of AP work is still done manually,” Hoffmann said. However, he sees a turning point: the convergence of AI, ERP system integration, and next-gen payment technologies like real-time payments and virtual cards is transforming AP into a strategic lever for companies

“CFOs now have a golden opportunity to reposition AP as a driver of innovation and value,” he concluded.

The OpenAI funding frenzy is more than a headline  it’s a bellwether for how deeply AI is reshaping the future of business and technology