OpenAI
From the models to the business behind them. Follow our reporting on OpenAI and the choices shaping the AI industry.
Get AI Secret’s free daily briefing, including OpenAI and the wider AI industry.
At a glance
AI research and deployment company behind ChatGPT. Coverage follows its models, products, research, governance and the business of deploying AI.
- Focus
- ChatGPT; AI models and research
- Reference
- OpenAI
Reviewed 19 October 2026. Dates retain the precision of the source; retrospective disclosures are identified in the event. Annualized revenue levels are not audited annual sales. Financing commitments are not revenue.
Company milestones
Revenue, funding, product launches and major company events, newest first. Expand the earlier milestones for more history.
Reported September annualized revenue is nearly $50B
Reuters reports a September run rate near $50B. Earlier figures near $70B used a different sales presentation; the two should not be treated as directly comparable growth milestones.
Source: ReutersBrings GPT-6 and Intelligent UI to everyone
OpenAI extends the new model generation beyond paid customers and reports more than 1.2B weekly ChatGPT users. This is user reach, not paid subscribers.
Source: OpenAI
Show earlier milestonesHide earlier milestones2026–2015 · 9 milestones
Earlier revenue, financing and company milestones.
$122B in committed capital at $852B valuation
OpenAI closes a financing round with $122B in committed capital. Commitments and valuation are financing measures, not sales.
Source: OpenAIDiscloses $2B → $6B → $20B+ annualized growth
The CFO retrospectively reports $2B ARR in 2023, $6B in 2024 and over $20B in 2025. These are year-specific annualized levels, not recognized annual revenue; this is the disclosure date.
Source: OpenAIAnnounces $40B financing at $300B valuation
The SoftBank-led financing is announced alongside 500M weekly ChatGPT users. The figure is announced funding, rather than an ARR milestone.
Source: OpenAIAdds a $4B revolving credit facility
The credit agreement follows $6.6B in equity funding. Available borrowing capacity is distinct from equity proceeds and revenue.
Source: OpenAIReleases GPT-4
GPT-4 expands the model platform beyond ChatGPT’s original research-preview generation, with API access initially offered through a waitlist.
Source: OpenAILaunches the ChatGPT research preview
The conversational interface makes instruction-following language models available directly to the public.
Source: OpenAIOpens its first commercial API
Developers gain access to general-purpose language models through an API, establishing a business alongside research.
Source: OpenAICreates a capped-profit partnership
OpenAI announces LP alongside its nonprofit, adding a structure for financing large-scale research and commercial development.
Source: OpenAIOpenAI is announced
The organization begins as a nonprofit AI research company, preceding its later commercial API and subscription businesses.
Source: OpenAI
The latest on OpenAI
Newest firstRelated reporting
Briefs, articles and relevant sections, newest first. Explore older coverage below.
More coverage
Welcome to AI Secret Growth Map July 2025 Report
As we enter the second half of the year, the AI growth engine is still running hot. Just one month after Gemini topped the June charts, ChatGPT roared back in July with a staggering +325.1M new visits, reclaiming the crown in overall growth. Meanwhile, the visual AI category saw a decisive shift toward utility-first tools, AI coding welcomed a wave of lightweight new entrants, and enterprise adoption leaned deeper into specialized copilots.
At AI Secret, we’ve partnered with leading industry sources and analyzed real traffic data across millions of users to compile the July 2025 Growth Rankings. As always, this report cuts through the noise to highlight the products truly capturing user attention, adoption, and trust.
Let’s dive into the data — and the dynamics — shaping AI’s latest growth wave. 👇
🧠 All AI Brands – Rebound at the Top, Diversification Below
In a reversal from last month’s leaderboard, ChatGPT surged +325.1M to hit 5.7B monthly visits, retaking the growth lead from Gemini. While Gemini still grew +51.1M (to 699.6M visits), the gap this month was decisive.
The rest of the top five saw Grok (+43.2M) leapfrog Claude, with Notion (+14.5M) and Claude (+11.9M) maintaining steady climbs. Perplexity (+11.1M) held strong in the search-oriented corner of the AI stack, while Salesforce (+8.9M) and Adobe (+7.5M) underscored the stickiness of enterprise and creative platforms.
Notion's rise is fueled by its seamless integration of AI into everyday workflows — from auto-summarizing notes to generating content with context. As teams increasingly seek all-in-one workspaces, Notion's AI-native features turn it from a productivity tool into an intelligent knowledge partner.
Notably, two vertical tools — remove.bg (+6.2M) and Higgsfield (+5.5M) — entered the overall top ten, a sign that specialized offerings are gaining enough traction to break into the all-AI conversation.
🛎️ Key takeaway: The top remains anchored by generalist platforms, but July marks a clear broadening — vertical utilities are finding their way into the big leagues.
🧠 All AI Brands – Rebound at the Top, Diversification Below
Notion's rise is fueled by its seamless integration of AI into everyday workflows — from auto-summarizing notes to generating content with context. As teams increasingly seek all-in-one workspaces, Notion's AI-native features turn it from a productivity tool into an intelligent knowledge partner.
🎬 AI Video & Image – Micro-Utility Tools Quietly Win Big
Remove.bg claimed the #1 spot this month with +6.2M growth to 71.2M visits, leveraging its straightforward, high-demand image background removal capabilities. Close behind, Higgsfield (+5.5M) and Seaart.ai (+5.3M) proved that creative tools with a clear aesthetic edge still command attention.
Newcomers like Seaart.ai are riding the wave of AI-native creativity platforms, while Midjourney (+2.5M) continued its slow but steady rise, joined by Fotor (+2.1M) and Cutout (+1.9M) in serving the needs of creators, marketers, and e-commerce workflows. Freepik, CapCut, OpenArt, and Civitai rounded out a list that blended production utility with visual artistry.
Compared to June — when cinematic newcomer Veo 3 stole the show — July’s rankings reveal a pivot toward tools that deliver immediate, practical value alongside creative potential.
🛎️ Key takeaway: When it comes to visual AI, ease-of-use trumps power. Tools that solve one thing beautifully are growing faster than do-it-all platforms.
🎬 AI Video & Image – Micro-Utility Tools Quietly Win Big
Remove.bg claimed the #1 spot this month with +6.2M growth to 71.2M visits, leveraging its straightforward, high-demand image background removal capabilities. Close behind, Higgsfield (+5.5M) and Seaart.ai (+5.3M) proved that creative tools with a clear aesthetic edge still command attention.
👨💻 AI Coding – New Builders Take the Lead
Kiro came out of nowhere to claim the #1 growth spot in coding tools with +2.9M new visits — a likely indicator of a product that fits the “copilot for X” archetype.
Replicate (+2.4M) and Base 44 (+2.4M) followed closely, showing strong demand for platforms that simplify model deployment and experimentation.
Replit (+1.9M) and Perchance (+1.6M) maintained momentum, with n8n (+1.5M), Vercel (+1.1M), and Bitbucket (+1.0M) reinforcing the backbone of the builder stack. Trae and Rork rounded out the top ten, catering to niche developer needs.
In June, Lovable ranked prominently in the AI Coding category, signaling strong early traction likely driven by buzz and initial user onboarding. However, by July, it dropped out of the top ranks — replaced by fast-rising tools like Kiro, which offer more focused, utility-driven features. This shift suggests that developer preferences are consolidating around tools with clear, task-specific value, while hype-driven products without sustained engagement are quickly overtaken.
🛎️ Key takeaway: The builder economy is fragmenting — new AI-native tools are claiming ground between traditional IDEs, scripting, and automation layers.
🚀 GTM AI – Salesforce Stays on Top, Niches Surge
Growth teams are quietly becoming AI-first. Salesforce (+8.9M) extended its dominance, serving as the AI-powered backbone for many GTM stacks. HubSpot (+1.8M) held its ground, while Airtable added +1.7M — all layering AI across content, CRM, and operations.
VidIQ (+864.3K) and Framer (+774.6K) show that creators and marketers are embracing AI for content strategy, landing pages, and distribution.
The presence of Beacons (+740.4K), Intercom (+552.8K), and Klaviyo (+414.8K) confirms a growing demand for AI in customer engagement and funnel automation.
Compared to June, GTM AI tools in July showed a shift from core CRM platforms to creator-focused and lightweight automation tools. While Salesforce maintained its lead, tools like VidIQ, Framer, and Beacons surged up the ranks — signaling growing adoption of AI among content-driven growth teams and indie marketers.
🛎️ Key takeaway: The AI go-to-market stack is taking shape — with every touchpoint from awareness to retention getting an intelligence upgrade.
🚀 GTM AI – Salesforce Stays on Top, Niches Surge
Salesforce (+8.9M) extended its dominance, serving as the AI-powered backbone for many GTM stacks. HubSpot (+1.8M) held its ground, while Airtable added +1.7M — all layering AI across content, CRM, and operations.
🏢 Enterprise AI – Specialized Copilots Win
In enterprise AI, Chaport (+3.7M) took the lead. TurboScribe (+3.1M) followed, capturing the transcription and meeting note market, while Jobright (+1.9M) carved a niche in recruitment intelligence.
Transkriptor (+1.1M) and Mercor (+758.6K) joined incumbents like Miro (+597.3K), as well as Tactiq, Fathom, Superhuman, and Fireflies — all focused on solving highly specific workflow challenges.
By July, the landscape shifted toward utility-first, operational tools — with Chaport, TurboScribe, and Transkriptor rising sharply. These tools address specific, high-frequency enterprise pain points like real-time support, transcription, and team documentation.
The contrast reflects a broader trend: enterprises are moving from flashy AI add-ons to embedded, ROI-driven automation that scales quietly in the background.
🛎️ Key takeaway: The next wave of enterprise AI is quiet. It’s not flashy — it’s embedded, useful, and often invisible.
🔚 Final Thoughts – The AI Growth Map Widens
July’s data underscores that while the giants are still towering over the field, the real action is happening at the edges:
What stood out across categories?
- Platform matters more than product: Tools with distribution and integration — like ChatGPT and CapCut — are growing faster than isolated products.
- Micro-utilities are macro-opportunities: The rise of remove.bg, TurboScribe, and Kiro proves there’s still massive upside in simple tools that own a single user need.
- AI Coding is fragmenting: Developers are shifting away from monolithic IDEs to lightweight, task-specific tools. The next wave of dev productivity is modular, autonomous, and deeply embedded in daily workflows.
- GTM AI is the sleeping giant: Marketing, sales, and onboarding are getting rebuilt with AI — not just automated, but orchestrated.
- Enterprise AI is maturing: The fastest-growing tools aren’t the ones chasing headlines — they’re helping teams work faster, document better, and sell smarter.
As the AI landscape matures, utility is outperforming novelty. July’s data reveals a clear shift: users are gravitating toward tools that solve real problems quickly, whether it's coding smarter, launching faster, or automating mundane workflows. The race isn’t just about intelligence anymore — it’s about adoption at scale.
TOGETHER WITH US
AI Secret Media Group is the world’s #1 AI & Tech Newsletter Group, boasting over 1 million readers from leading companies such as OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Our Newsletter Brands:
- AI: AI Secret
- Tech: Bay Area Letters
- Futuristic: Posthuman
We've helped promote over 500 Tech Brands. Will yours be the next?
Email our co-founder Mark directly at mark@aisecret.us if the button fails.
Related Stories
Magna
Magna
Magna
Magna
Nuclear Inspectors
AI Audits AI, Then Answers 911
Productivity Illusion
More Stories: Ports’ Command Center, End of Forecast
Mysterious Banana
More Stories: Arabic-First AI, Stanford Shows Evidence
The Great Washington Price War of Artificial Minds
In August 2025, Washington staged a theater of the absurd. Three of Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies—OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google—entered a bidding war
Neural Clash
Half Your Office Now Trusts AI More Than You
AI’s Free Lunch Is Over
Inside the global backlash against AI’s data hunger
AI Secret Growth Map: July 2025
Utility Wins-July’s Fastest-Growing AI Products Solve Real Problems
Artificial Jagged Intelligence
More Stories: Claude Gets Memory, Grok 4 Waterloo
When GPT-5 Arrived, My Friend Disappeared
GPT-5 triggered an OpenAI mutiny online.
