OpenAI Invests $40M in Opal Camera, Now Opal Electronics
Original: Flush With Cash From OpenAI, Opal Is Making an AI-Powered Audio Gadget
Why This Matters
Signals OpenAI's hardware ambitions beyond partnerships with established manufacturers
Opal Camera rebranded to Opal Electronics after receiving $40 million Series B funding from OpenAI, Samsung, and others. The company is expanding beyond webcams to AI-powered consumer devices, starting with an audio gadget launching in 3-4 months.
Opal Camera has completed a $40 million Series B funding round led by OpenAI, with additional investment from Samsung, Peter Thiel, and tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee. The company is now valued at $275 million and rebranding to Opal Electronics. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was an early customer of Opal's C1 webcam, leading to a 2022 meeting where OpenAI showed the team an early preview of ChatGPT. This encounter prompted Opal to pivot into AI hardware research. The company has spent years developing an AI-powered audio product that convinced Altman to invest. The device will launch in partnership with an unspecified AI lab, though Opal is in talks with OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI to allow users to switch between models. The product is currently being tested by executives at OpenAI, xAI, Thinking Machines, and Anthropic.