OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has signalled it may proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) in 2027, following revenue growth of 70% in the third quarter of this year compared with the preceding three months. The company points to revenue expansion, a stronger enterprise client base, and new product development as the factors underpinning its optimism about a potential debut on Wall Street.
The possibility was raised by OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman, who expressed confidence in the company's financial and technological trajectory, while stressing that any decision would depend on conditions at the time. Brockman explained that "OpenAI intends to enter the public markets only when it considers that the necessary conditions to complete the operation are in place."
"This year we have been very clear in saying that we want to go public when we feel it is right for us, and I am extremely optimistic about the company," the executive said, adding that he has never had as much confidence in the work being done by the organisation.
Preparations for a potential listing coincide with a transformation of OpenAI's business model, marked by a growing share of enterprise clients in its revenue mix. According to Brockman, this segment now accounts for the majority of the technology company's billing — a reversal from a previous period in which it contributed just 30% of total revenues.
The financial performance of the third quarter of 2026 reinforced the company's growth outlook, with expansion of 70% recorded against the preceding quarter. The improvement followed what Brockman described as a particularly difficult first half of the year, driven largely by challenges encountered in developing ChatGPT's coding capabilities.
"This year we have been very clear in saying that we want to go public when we feel it is right for us, and I am extremely optimistic about the company" — Greg Brockman, co-founder and president of OpenAI.
Brockman acknowledged that, despite OpenAI already offering Codex — an artificial intelligence tool oriented towards programming tasks — the product had not yet received the level of attention expected. He nonetheless argued that the progress made throughout the year had strengthened the company's competitive position in this technology segment.
Competition and Safety Define Sector Trajectory
A potential OpenAI listing on Wall Street comes against a backdrop of intensifying competition among artificial intelligence companies, several of which are also preparing to access public financial markets. Among the main rivals is Anthropic, which has been accelerating the development of its models and expanding its presence in the sector.
An assessment conducted by the non-profit research organisation Model Evaluation and Threat Research (METR), drawing on access to internal Anthropic data and interviews with staff, concluded that the ability of the company's models to execute well-defined tasks is improving at a rate approximately twice that observed a year ago.
The acceleration of technological development has intensified the debate over the risks associated with advances in AI capabilities. Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has argued for the need to slow the pace of development of these technologies, in order to allow safety mechanisms to keep pace with the progress being recorded.
Against this backdrop, a potential OpenAI stock market listing in 2027 could represent a new milestone in the company's financial evolution, in a sector characterised by rising competition, expanding investment flows, and growing corporate demand for artificial intelligence solutions. Despite the optimism expressed by management, the operation remains contingent on an assessment of the conditions required to move forward with a market admission.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=559494
