OpenAI acquires Neptune to boost AI model training capabilities
What's the story
OpenAI has announced its acquisition of Neptune, a start-up specializing in tools for tracking AI model training. The financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, but sources told The Information that the transaction is worth less than $400 million in stock. This comes as OpenAI continues to prepare for a potential IPO, which could be one of the largest ever with a valuation of up to $1 trillion.
Client connection
OpenAI's existing relationship with Neptune
OpenAI has been a customer of Neptune, using its tracker to monitor and debug the training of its GPT large language models. Other clients of Neptune include tech giants Samsung, Roche, and HP. The start-up was initially an internal tool at Deepsense before becoming an independent entity in 2018. Since then, it has raised over $18 million in funding, according to its website.
Market position
OpenAI's valuation and IPO plans
OpenAI's valuation hit $500 billion in October after a deal where current and former employees sold around $6.6 billion worth of shares. The company, backed by Microsoft, is preparing for a potential IPO filing with securities regulators as early as the second half of 2026. At present, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a "code red," focusing the company on improving ChatGPT amid rising competition, particularly from Google's Gemini 3.