The partnership will involve training advanced AI models for specific tasks within Holding's businesses, “guided by both company-specific data and expert feedback,” said Joshua Kushner, founder at Thrive Capital.

OpenAI Takes Equity Stake in Thrive Holdings

OpenAI and Thrive Holdings Forge New Partnership

OpenAI, the pioneering AI company behind ChatGPT, has announced a strategic partnership with Thrive Holdings (Holdings) to integrate frontier AI into sectors and industries with legacy workflows.

Partnership Details

OpenAI will take an equity stake in Holdings, aiming to bring AI into traditional service sectors.
A unique, cross-functional team will be formed, comprising OpenAI's research and applied AI teams, engineers, operators, and industry experts at Holdings.
The partnership will involve training advanced AI models for specific tasks within Holdings' businesses, guided by company-specific data and expert feedback.

Reactions from Industry Experts

"The partnership will bring together a unique, cross-functional team to deeply integrate AI into the businesses that we own and operate," said Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital.

"OpenAI now has equity and can train models for tasks with company-specific data," added Sheel Mohnot, a general partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures.

About Thrive Holdings and Thrive Capital

Thrive Holdings is a holding company created by Thrive Capital in 2025, designed to acquire and operate businesses in traditional service sectors such as accounting and IT.

Thrive Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm, has backed several high-profile technology companies and is an established investor in OpenAI.

In 2024, Thrive Capital led a $6.6 billion funding round in OpenAI, committing roughly $1 billion, and reportedly helped push OpenAI's post-money valuation to around $500 billion.

Implications of the Partnership

The partnership has raised questions about the circular nature of the arrangement between OpenAI and Thrive Capital, with Thrive Capital investing in OpenAI and then OpenAI investing in Thrive Holdings.

This has sparked debate about the potential benefits and drawbacks of such a partnership, with some experts suggesting it may create new opportunities for AI training and development.