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OpenAI Plans Funding Round To Potentially Reach $340 Billion Valuation

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
January 31, 2025

OpenAI, the pioneering artificial intelligence startup, is reportedly exploring a new funding round that could push its valuation to an impressive $340 billion, more than double its current worth. This comes amidst growing competition from the emerging Chinese AI company DeepSeek, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Key Details

According to the Journal, OpenAI is in the early stages of raising $40 billion in this upcoming round. Sources close to the matter, speaking anonymously, caution that discussions are still ongoing and the deal could fall apart at any moment.

This potential funding round would bring OpenAI’s value to $340 billion, a substantial leap from its latest $157 billion valuation, which followed a successful $6.6 billion raise in October.

In previous reports, the Journal revealed that Japanese investment giant SoftBank is expected to take the lead in this funding round, contributing somewhere between $15 billion and $25 billion.

OpenAI hasn’t yet to comment on the matter.

How OpenAI’s Valuation Stacks Up Against Its Rivals 

While OpenAI’s valuation has reached $157 billion as of October, Elon Musk’s xAI is valued at around $50 billion. In comparison, Amazon-backed AI startup Anthropic is valued at $18 billion and is said to be in discussions for a funding round that could bring its valuation up to $60 billion. Meanwhile, DeepSeek, the Chinese AI firm, is estimated to be worth at least $1 billion, though some analysts believe it could be valued much higher, even without generating significant revenue yet.

Although not solely AI-focused, tech giants Microsoft and Meta have allocated $80 billion and $65 billion, respectively, towards AI for the current fiscal year, according to Reuters.

The Bigger Picture 

OpenAI holds the title of the highest-valued U.S. AI startup and has seen its value soar more than fourfold from 2023 to 2024. The nonprofit company reported a monthly revenue of $300 million as of August, with projected annual sales of $3.7 billion for 2024, as per The New York Times. OpenAI is also at the helm of Project Stargate, a large-scale AI infrastructure initiative that includes partnerships with Oracle and Nvidia. This project aims to build multiple AI data centers across the U.S. and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.

However, the massive funding behind OpenAI and other U.S.-based AI companies has come under scrutiny in recent days, especially with the rise of DeepSeek. The Chinese startup has claimed that it developed one of its AI models for a fraction of the cost compared to its American counterparts, spending just $5.6 million on GPUs for training. Despite these claims, industry experts like Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon have expressed doubts, suggesting that the figure doesn’t account for other significant costs involved in model development.

EU E-Commerce VAT Systems Generate €257.9 Million Revenue for Cyprus in 2024

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
August 11, 2025

Robust Revenue Growth Through Streamlined VAT Collection

Cyprus has demonstrated a significant fiscal boost in 2024 with €257.9 million generated from the European Union’s e-commerce VAT systems, according to Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markides. This impressive performance underscores the effectiveness of the One Stop Shop (OSS) and Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) frameworks in simplifying cross-border tax compliance.

Simplified Procedures for EU and Non-EU Businesses

The OSS system allows Cyprus-registered businesses to streamline VAT declaration and payment on sales to consumers in other EU countries. Companies simply register on the local OSS platform, apply the consumer’s VAT rate, aggregate their submissions quarterly or monthly, and remit a single consolidated payment. Subsequently, Cyprus allocates the appropriate share to each respective EU country. This efficient process extends to non-EU sellers as well, who can have their intra-EU distance sales managed under the Union Scheme.

Breakdown of VAT Revenue Streams

Last year’s declarations under the various schemes illustrate the system’s broad reach: €217.9 million was collected via the Union Scheme, €36.9 million through the Non-Union Scheme, and €3.1 million via the Import Scheme. While the Union Scheme caters to both EU and non-EU sellers engaging in distance sales, the Non-Union Scheme specifically accommodates non-EU firms delivering services to EU consumers. Furthermore, the Import Scheme targets goods valued at less than €150 that are imported from outside the EU.

Implications and Broader Impact

Implemented in July 2021 as an evolution from the more limited MOSS system, these reforms have not only consolidated tax collection through an expansive OSS but also integrated the IOSS for low-value imports. By designating certain online marketplaces as “deemed suppliers,” the new framework ensures that VAT collection is both efficient and equitable. Across the EU, these mechanisms have generated over €33 billion in VAT revenues in 2024, reflecting a successful effort to simplify tax compliance, reduce administrative burdens, and promote fair taxation across the bloc.

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