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OpenAI is in early talks to raise a fresh round of funding at a valuation at or above $100 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The terms, valuation and timing of the funding round have not yet been finalised and could still change, the report said.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI is unlikely to offer a board seat to Microsoft and other investors in the company, including Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures, many of whom played a pivotal role in forcing the artificial intelligence startup to reconsider its decision to fire Sam Altman as CEO. The six-day fiasco at OpenAI saw the company sack its most public face, and perhaps that of the AI industry, before reversing its decision and rehiring the 38-year-old to lead the company.

Microsoft is said to have thrown its full support behind sacked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in his bid to return to the company's top job. The tech giant has invested around $13 million in OpenAI and holds a 49% stake in the company, but was given almost no notice before the high-profile AI startup's CEO was ousted. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly pledged his support for Altman immediately after he was fired by the board.

OpenAI’s interim Chief Executive Officer Mira Murati plans to re-hire her ousted predecessor Sam Altman and former President Greg Brockman in a capacity that has yet to be finalized, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Murati, who was installed on Friday after the board fired Altman, is negotiating with Adam D’Angelo, the CEO of Quora Inc., who is acting as a representative of the OpenAI board, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private and remain fluid. Brockman, who was also a board member, quit in protest hours after Altman’s departure.

Sam Altman on Friday, a host of players across the tech industry have come onto the scene. From co-founders to chief executives, here are their roles and how they play into the escalating series of events happening at the artificial intelligence firm.

OpenAI employee shares that would value the startup at about $86 billion on paper hangs in the balance after the sudden firing of CEO Sam Altman and a slew of top executive departures, the Information reported on Saturday. The tender offer, which Thrive Capital is leading, has not yet closed but has been in its final stages and was expected to be completed as soon as next month, the report added, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The board of directors at OpenAI is reportedly receiving criticism from investors over the decision to terminate its CEO Sam Altman.

Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, two top executives at OpenAI who left the company after a dramatic board meeting Friday, are talking again with board members about returning to the artificial intelligence startup, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The discussions follow an outcry after Altman, 38, was ousted from his role as OpenAI's CEO a day earlier. Since then, OpenAI's investors and Altman's supporters have pressured the four board members of the startup to bring Altman back, six people with knowledge of the matter said.

Ramp, a developer of financial management software, has raised $300 million in its latest funding round to accelerate expansion in new categories, the company said on Tuesday, notching up a valuation of $5.8 billion. The new funding is at a lower valuation from the $8.1 billion achieved by the New-York based startup in a funding round last year, a spokesperson of the company confirmed. Valuations of financial technology startups have been hit as interest rates remain high and investors fret over a looming economic slowdown, leading to a shift away from cash-burning firms and toward those with greater focus on profitability. The latest funding round was co-led by Thrive Capital and Sands Capital along with existing investors Founder's Fund and General Catalyst among others. Ramp, which offers a corporate card platform used by over 15,000 businesses, was founded in 2019.

David Marcus, former Meta executive and co-creator of Facebook’s now sold Diem project, has moved his focus to Bitcoin (BTC), unveiling a new company, Lightspark, established with the aim to explore, build and extend BTC’s capabilities and utility.

In November 2021, MoonPay announced a $555 million Series A financing round that brought the crypto payment platform's valuation to $3.4 billion. On Wednesday, the fintech company revealed that $87 million of the total $555 million came collectively from more than 60 public figures and celebrities in the music, sports, media and entertainment industries. 

Yuga Labs, the creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and new owners of the CryptoPunks and Meebits brands, announced it is now valued at $4 billion after its latest $450 million seed funding round. VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, led the company's first institutional investment, marking one of the largest seed rounds for any nonfungible token (NFT) collection to date.

The Diem Association (formerly known as Libra Association), the Meta-led project that once aimed to create a stablecoin accessible to everyone in the world, is reportedly attempting to sell its assets as a way to return capital to its investors.

Cryptocurrency fintech startup MoonPay has closed its first-ever venture capital round, reaching $3.4 billion in post-money valuation.