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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.

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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.

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Call for Reform: Cyprus Faces New Challenges with Emerging Tobacco Products

by News Editor

May 31, 2025

In the face of a burgeoning variety of tobacco products, existing smoking laws in Cyprus are struggling to keep pace, as highlighted by Christos Minas, the president of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (AAEK). On World No-Tobacco Day, there was a push for legislative reforms to comprehensively cover all tobacco forms, including non-nicotine alternatives.

Addressing Rising Trends with Effective Policies

Minas emphasized the surge in popularity of e-cigarettes and flavored products, particularly among the youth. The proposed legal updates aim to enhance enforcement efficiency against these emerging trends.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework, the AAEK has established the first set of national guidelines for smoking cessation in Cyprus, crafting prevention and treatment strategies based on robust scientific evidence.

Educating Youth and Public Awareness Initiatives

Efforts are underway to raise awareness, with informative materials distributed to secondary schools across Cyprus. A public event in Nicosia highlighted the state’s ongoing commitment, providing carbon monoxide testing and expert advice on new tobacco products.

Recent data from the Cyprus general population survey 2023 indicates that 38% of smokers have used e-cigarettes recently, and the smoking initiation age remains at 18.

A Glimpse into Youth Smoking Patterns

According to the latest European school survey, 14% of Cypriot students aged 15-16 reported smoking traditional cigarettes last month. Although this rate is declining, Cyprus still ranks high in Europe for e-cigarette and hookah use among students.

The concern is global, with WHO reports showing over 37 million children aged 13-15 engage in tobacco use, driven by aggressive marketing in loosely regulated environments.

The urgency for reform is clear: before these trends solidify, proactive measures are necessary to protect future generations from potentially hazardous habits.