Stripe announced on August 19, U.S. time, that it will acquire OpenRouter, an AI model-routing service, for a reported $7.5 billion, or approximately ¥1.2 trillion, although Stripe has not officially disclosed the price. The New York Times reported the figure, citing people familiar with the matter, while Axios put the value at more than $8 billion, or approximately ¥1.3 trillion; OpenRouter’s founders are expected to receive approximately $1.5 billion, or ¥240 billion. The Information had previously reported that OpenRouter was in sale talks, prompting bankers to ask whether the company had attracted a record nine suitors, while at least two people contacted about the deal appeared to submit their own bids soon afterward. OpenRouter lets customers compare, select and switch between multiple AI models through one API while centralizing billing, including access to closed models from OpenAI and Anthropic and open-weight models from Chinese companies such as DeepSeek and Z.ai. The acquisition would extend Stripe beyond payments into AI infrastructure and create a major valuation reference for the sector, although one based on the conviction of a single buyer. OpenRouter had raised approximately $113 million in May at a $1.3 billion valuation, meaning the reported purchase price exceeds five times that valuation after only three months. Stripe said the transaction would help companies control AI model costs and token usage, while OpenRouter said it intends to preserve a neutral marketplace where competing models can coexist. The announcement came alongside an investor letter declaring that "the singularity began on January 1, 2026," a claim tied to rising U.S. business-formation applications and Stripe’s own growth. Critics, including cognitive scientist Gary Marcus, questioned whether the evidence meets a coherent definition of singularity. The deal also reinforces Stripe’s broader expansion across payments, digital assets and AI after its $1.1 billion acquisition of stablecoin platform Bridge in 2025.