Andreessen Horowitz could make close to $1.5 billion from OpenRouter's potential sale to Stripe

OpenRouter Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Stripe is set to acquire OpenRouter, a leading AI model marketplace, for over $8 billion, sources say.

VC firms A16z and Menlo Ventures may see at least $2 billion in returns from the deal.

AI model startup OpenRouter is led by Alex Atallah.

Stripe's multi-billion-dollar pursuit of AI model marketplace startup OpenRouter isn't just creating one of the biggest AI acquisitions of the year; it's minting venture capital firms' speedy wins.

Andreessen Horowitz and Menlo Ventures are poised to turn investments made less than two years ago into payouts worth nearly $2 billion combined if Stripe acquires the AI model marketplace for more than $8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

Andreessen, Menlo, and OpenRouter did not respond for comment.

Stripe declined to comment.

OpenRouter helps developers direct their tasks to different AI models.

The startup also monitors for overspend and quickly resolves outages — and they're seeing a gigantic surge in demand.

The company says it has over 10 million users.

OpenRouter's cofounder and CEO is Alex Atallah, who also co-founded OpenSea, the crypto token trading marketplace, once valued at over $13 billion.

In late May, OpenRouter announced it raised $113 million, valuing it at $1.3 billion.

A16z, whose investment was led by former general partner Anjney Midha, owns more than 17% of OpenRouter, according to people familiar with the matter.

This would net the investment firm a payday of close to $1.5 billion, if acquired at $8 billion.