Cathie Wood doubles down on OpenAI with $250 million investment

Cathie Wood’s Ark Venture Fund has committed to investing at least $250 million in OpenAI’s latest funding round, according to a report by Business Insider. Ark’s second investment in the ChatGPT developer reinforces its confidence in OpenAI’s potential as a leader in artificial intelligence.

The $250 million investment brings the round to $6.6 billion, as stated in OpenAI’s announcement earlier today, pushing the company’s valuation to $157 billion. This latest round positions OpenAI as one of the top three largest venture-backed startups in the world, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

Ark Venture’s latest $250 million investment in OpenAI reinforces Cathie Wood’s strong belief in the future of artificial intelligence, aligning with Ark Venture Fund’s consistent focus on disruptive technologies. With AI at its core, the fund has backed companies like SpaceX, Databricks, FigureAI, Anthropic, and xAI, highlighting Ark’s commitment to shaping the future of tech innovation.

The massive $6.6 billion funding round, announced by OpenAI earlier today, was led by Thrive Capital and included major investors such as Microsoft, Nvidia, Khosla Ventures, and Altimeter Capital. Global players such as SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi-based MGX also participated, further highlighting the widespread belief that AI will play a central role in the future of technology.

OpenAI plans to use the funds to accelerate AI research and expand its computing capacity to meet the rising demand for generative AI technologies.

 “AI is already personalizing learning, accelerating healthcare breakthroughs, and driving productivity,” said OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar in a statement. “And this is just the start.”

With OpenAI now valued at $157 billion, the company’s position as a leader in the AI space is more secure than ever. However, it faces fierce competition from tech giants like Google and Amazon, as well as emerging startups founded by former OpenAI employees. The increasing capital flowing into AI research signals that the race to develop the most advanced generative AI models is far from over.