Stripe said on Wednesday that it is acquiring OpenRouter, a platform that lets developers route requests between multiple AI models. The deal is valued at $7.5 billion, according to the New York Times, a premium to OpenRouter’s $1.3 billion valuation in May. The founders are reported to receive $1.5 billion, while investors will receive the remaining $6 billion.

The acquisition gives Stripe insight into how developers are using AI and adds a tool for managing AI‑related expenses, a new area for the payments company. Stripe’s founders noted in a letter to investors that the move aligns with their goal of embedding themselves in the capital flows of the AI era, as described by PitchBook analyst Franco Granda. OpenRouter will continue to operate independently after the transaction, which is expected to close in the coming weeks.

Stripe’s payment services are already used by a large majority of AI‑focused companies, including 88 percent of the Forbes AI 50 and all of Brex’s fastest‑growing startups. The deal reflects growing competition among technology firms to control the infrastructure that supports AI development.

The companies have not disclosed how the integration will affect pricing or product roadmaps, and no timeline has been set for changes to OpenRouter’s service offerings.