# OpenRouter

**Platform**: Providing a unified API for developers to access and integrate over 400 large language models from various providers.

## Financials

**Revenue**  
$140.00M (2026)  
**Valuation**  
$500.00M (2025)  
**Funding**  
$40.50M (2025)

**Headquarters**: New York, United States  
**CEO**: Alex Atallah  
**Website**: [openrouter.ai](https://www.openrouter.ai/)

### Milestones
- **Founding Year**: 2023

## Revenue & Revenue Growth Rate
- **$140.0M**  
- **↑ 1840.0% YoY**

## Overview
**OpenRouter** is a universal API that provides developers access to 400+ different large language models from providers like [OpenAI](/content/c/openai/index.html), [Anthropic](/content/c/anthropic/index.html), Google, and 60+ other labs through a single endpoint. Instead of integrating separate SDKs for each AI provider, developers can point their applications to [OpenRouter](/content/c/openrouter/index.html)'s API and access any model with the same [OpenAI](/content/c/openai/index.html)-compatible request format.

## Business Model
**OpenRouter** operates as a B2B API platform with a usage-based monetization model, taking a 5% commission on all inference spend that flows through its routing layer.

## Competition
### Universal API providers  
Direct competitors like Portkey, Martian, and Not Diamond offer similar AI model routing capabilities, though with different approaches to the market.

### Cloud hyperscalers  
AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, and Azure OpenAI Service represent significant competitive threats by bundling multiple AI models within their existing cloud ecosystems.

### Vertically integrated inference providers  
Companies like [Together AI](/content/c/together-ai/index.html), [Fireworks AI](/content/c/fireworks-ai/index.html), and [Groq](/content/c/groq/index.html) build their own inference infrastructure optimized for specific model types.

## Risks
1. **Provider concentration**: Relies heavily on major AI providers continuing to allow access to their models.
2. **Commoditization pressure**: Standardization may lead to price competition.
3. **Model consolidation**: Fewer, more capable models could reduce demand for multi-provider routing.

## News
### Stripe Considers $10 Billion Acquisition of OpenRouter
Stripe aims to enhance its AI capabilities by potentially acquiring OpenRouter, valuing the startup at 70 times its annual revenue of $140 million.

### Stripe in talks to buy OpenRouter for about $10 billion
Stripe's roughly $10 billion pursuit of OpenRouter would deepen its AI-payments footprint but entails an unusually high valuation, raising questions about model-access risk and acquisition economics.

### Chinese AI Models Capture 63% of OpenRouter's U.S. Usage
Chinese AI models dominate 63% of OpenRouter's usage, raising regulatory concerns.