OpenRouter is joining Stripe(openrouter.ai)
944 points by rvz 2 days ago | 479 comments
tl;dr: OpenRouter, a multi-model AI gateway processing 10+ trillion tokens daily across 400+ models, is being acquired by Stripe. The company says it will continue operating independently with the same product, mission, and roadmap, maintaining its neutrality across model providers. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks, pending customary closing conditions.
HN Discussion:
  • Long-time users praise OpenRouter's product and hope Stripe will be a good steward
  • Corporate consolidation via acquisition is bad for consumers
  • Strategic fit is strong: Stripe can build accounting/billing infrastructure for metered AI work
  • Concerns about provider integrity and model authenticity remain unresolved
  • Criticism of the 'Open' branding when the product isn't actually open