OpenAI in talks to commit up to $1.5 billion to private equity JV

Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI is set to commit ​up to $1.5 billion to a new joint ‌venture with private equity firms, Financial Times ​reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar ⁠with the matter.

The ChatGPT maker will initially invest $500 million of equity into the joint venture, known ‌internally as DeployCo, which is expected to be valued at $10 billion ‌in a funding round set to close ‌in ⁠early May, the report said.

DeployCo, ⁠a Delaware-listed LLC, is reportedly designed to speed up the adoption of OpenAI’s workplace tools and is ​a central part of ‌the company’s push into the enterprise market, according to FT.

OpenAI will have super-voting shares in DeployCo, FT added.

DeployCo’s private equity ‌backers will invest for five years, with ​OpenAI guaranteeing them an annual return of 17.5%, the report said.

OpenAI ⁠also has the option to add a further $1 billion at a later date, FT ‌said, with investors including TPG, Bain Capital, Advent International, Brookfield and Goanna Capital investing another $4 billion.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. OpenAI, TPG, Bain, Advent, Brookfield and Goanna did not immediately respond to a ‌Reuters request for comment.

Reuters reported in March that ​both OpenAI and rival Anthropic have been aggressively courting PE firms, which control ⁠many enterprise companies and sway corporate spending ⁠on software and AI.

OpenAI has recently doubled down on enterprise AI, a ‌market where Anthropic is widely seen as having stronger traction, with broader adoption among ​corporate clients.

Published on April 22, 2026