Payment titan Stripe Inc. has finalized an agreement to purchase OpenRouter Inc., bringing one of the fastest-expanding platforms for accessing artificial intelligence models under its corporate umbrella.

Earlier reports indicated that Stripe had sealed the transaction to acquire the startup OpenRouter for upwards of $7 billion, a striking leap from the valuation of approximately $1.3 billion that had been attributed to the company earlier this year.

As enterprises increasingly pursue more economical and adaptable methods for leveraging models from various providers, this acquisition grants Stripe a considerably stronger foothold within the artificial intelligence sector.

Founded in 2023, OpenRouter enables developers to tap into hundreds of AI models through a single, unified interface. The New York-based firm, during a funding round held earlier this year, reportedly commanded a valuation of $1.3 billion. Its roster of backers includes CapitalG, a venture arm of Alphabet, along with Andreessen Horowitz and Menlo Ventures.