E231: Tether's $500B valuation; OpenAI-Nvidia $100B AI powerhouse deal; Stripe buyback at $106.7B; TikTok US valuation at only $14B!; Fermi's $13B IPO for AI data center energy; 1X robotics' $10B+ valuation; Anthropic for Microsoft AI Copilot; Databricks-
E231: Tether's $500B valuation; OpenAI-Nvidia $100B AI powerhouse deal; Stripe buyback at $106.7B; TikTok US valuation at only $14B!; Fermi's $13B IPO for AI data center energy; 1X robotics' $10B+ valuation; Anthropic for Microsoft AI Copilot; Databricks-
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

The massive OpenAI partnership reinforces the bullish case for NVIDIA (NVDA) as the essential hardware provider for the AI revolution. Consider the upcoming IPO for Fermi (FERM), an energy REIT expected to trade on October 1 between $18-$22 per share, offering a "picks and shovels" investment in AI data center power. CoreWeave is a direct public investment in AI infrastructure, with its revenue strongly supported by a $22.4 billion cloud commitment from OpenAI. Investors can also gain exposure through key public partners like Oracle (ORCL), which supplies OpenAI and is a potential buyer of TikTok's U.S. assets. Similarly, Microsoft (MSFT) benefits from integrating leading AI models from both OpenAI and Anthropic into its Copilot ecosystem.

Detailed Analysis

Tether Holdings

  • The crypto company is pursuing a $500 billion valuation in a private fundraising round.
  • It aims to raise $15 billion to $20 billion for a roughly 3% stake in the company.
  • The funds are intended to massively scale operations beyond stablecoins into new sectors:
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Commodity Trading
    • Energy
    • Communications
    • Media
  • Its stablecoin, USDT, recently surpassed a $172 billion market capitalization, which is more than double its main rival, USDC ($74 billion).

Takeaways

  • Tether is a private company, so direct investment is not available to the public.
  • The move to diversify into high-growth sectors like AI and energy represents a major strategic shift. This could unlock new revenue streams but also introduces significant execution risk in areas where it has no track record.
  • The extremely high valuation target of $500 billion signals massive ambition from management and high expectations from private investors.

OpenAI

  • The AI leader has secured a landmark $100 billion partnership with NVIDIA.
    • NVIDIA's investment will be in phases, starting with a $10 billion tranche at a $500 billion valuation for OpenAI.
  • OpenAI is making massive infrastructure investments:
    • Buying 4 to 5 million GPUs from NVIDIA.
    • Planning to spend up to a trillion dollars on servers for its data centers.
    • Has a separate $300 billion, five-year agreement with Oracle starting in 2027.
  • The company has 700 million weekly active users for products like ChatGPT.
  • Its valuation in the secondary (private) market is $529 billion.

Takeaways

  • OpenAI is private, so you cannot buy its stock directly.
  • However, its massive spending is a powerful bullish signal for its publicly traded partners. Investors can gain indirect exposure to OpenAI's growth by investing in key suppliers like NVIDIA (NVDA) and Oracle (ORCL).
  • The scale of its planned spending underscores the long-term, massive growth expected in the AI data center and infrastructure sectors.

NVIDIA (NVDA)

  • The company sealed a $100 billion partnership with OpenAI, where it will both invest in OpenAI and supply it with 4 to 5 million GPUs.
  • The announcement caused NVIDIA's market capitalization to jump by $170 billion, reaching nearly $4.5 trillion.

Takeaways

  • This deal solidifies NVIDIA's position as the essential hardware provider for the AI revolution.
  • The massive, long-term order from the leading AI company provides significant and predictable future revenue, reinforcing the bullish case for the stock.
  • The immediate positive market reaction shows strong investor confidence in NVIDIA's continued dominance in the AI chip market.

Stripe

  • The private fintech company is in talks for a stock buyback at a $106.7 billion valuation.
  • This valuation marks a significant recovery from its $50 billion valuation in 2023, showing strong positive momentum.
  • Its current secondary market valuation is even higher at $118.5 billion.

Takeaways

  • Stripe is a key pre-IPO company to watch. The rising valuation and stock buyback are positive signs that could precede a public offering.
  • A buyback allows early investors and employees to cash out, suggesting the company is confident in its financial position and future prospects.

TikTok (U.S. Operations)

  • A potential forced sale of TikTok's U.S. business from its Chinese parent, ByteDance, has been formalized by an executive order.
  • The deal values the U.S. app at just $14 billion, which is considered extremely low given its 170 million U.S. users and over $10 billion in annual revenue.
  • This valuation represents a 1.4x price-to-sales multiple, a steep discount compared to competitors like Meta (10x) and Alphabet (8x).
  • The deal was called "the most undervalued tech acquisition of the decade" and "daylight robbery."
  • A consortium including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX is in discussions to acquire a 45% stake.
  • Risk Factor: The deal must be completed within 120 days and is pending approval from Beijing.

Takeaways

  • This is a special situation driven by political pressure. The low valuation presents a potentially massive opportunity for the buyers.
  • For public market investors, the key is to watch which public companies are involved. If a company like Oracle (ORCL) successfully acquires a stake at this discounted price, it could be a significant long-term positive for its stock.

Fermi (FERM)

  • This is an energy-focused Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that has confidentially filed for an IPO.
  • It is targeting a $13 billion valuation and aims to raise up to $550 million.
  • The IPO is priced at $18 to $22 per share.
  • The stock is expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ on October 1 under the ticker FERM.

Takeaways

  • This is an upcoming IPO that offers a "picks and shovels" way to invest in the AI boom.
  • Instead of investing in AI software or chips, FERM focuses on providing the essential power infrastructure needed for data centers, which are seeing surging demand.
  • Investors interested in the AI theme but seeking diversification away from tech stocks could consider this opportunity. The pricing date is September 30.

1X Technologies

  • A private humanoid robotics company seeking $1 billion in new funding at a valuation that could exceed $10 billion.
  • Its robots, like Neo Gamma, use OpenAI voice models and are designed for safety and immediate use in homes for tasks like elder care and domestic assistance.
  • It differentiates itself from competitors like Tesla's Optimus and Figure AI by focusing on the consumer market with soft-sided, safe designs.

Takeaways

  • 1X Technologies is a key private company to watch in the rapidly growing humanoid robotics sector.
  • Its partnership with OpenAI and focus on a practical, near-term use case are strong advantages.
  • While not yet public, its high valuation and funding goals reflect intense investor interest in robotics as the next frontier of AI application.

Anthropic

  • The private AI company has partnered with Microsoft to integrate its models into the Copilot Workspace Assistant.
  • This allows business users to choose between OpenAI and Anthropic models, giving Anthropic significant exposure and validation.
  • Its valuation in the secondary market is $207.3 billion.

Takeaways

  • Anthropic is a primary competitor to OpenAI. This partnership with Microsoft is a major win that boosts its competitive standing.
  • While a private company, its success is a positive for its public partner, Microsoft (MSFT), by making the Copilot ecosystem more robust and flexible.
  • Anthropic is a top name to watch for a future blockbuster IPO in the AI space.

Databricks

  • The private AI and data analytics company has signed a $100 million deal with OpenAI.
  • The partnership is focused on jointly selling AI agent services to large enterprise clients, making it easier for businesses to adopt and build autonomous AI agents.
  • Its valuation in the secondary market is $102 billion.
  • Risk Factor: The transcript notes that a key hurdle for adoption is the "sub 100% reliability" of AI agents, which this partnership aims to address.

Takeaways

  • Databricks is a critical private company in the enterprise AI stack. This partnership with OpenAI positions it to capture a significant share of the corporate AI market.
  • The collaboration is a strong bullish signal for the company's growth trajectory and makes it a prime candidate for a highly anticipated IPO.

CoreWeave

  • A recently IPO'd AI data center cloud provider.
  • The company announced a $6.5 billion expansion of its cloud infrastructure agreement with OpenAI.
  • This brings OpenAI's total commitment to CoreWeave to $22.4 billion.
  • The company has a public market capitalization of $60 billion.
  • Its stock has seen a 2,246% return since its Series B funding round just 2.5 years ago.

Takeaways

  • CoreWeave is a publicly traded company that is a direct and major beneficiary of OpenAI's growth.
  • The massive and growing financial commitments from OpenAI provide a clear and strong revenue pipeline, making it a more focused public investment on AI cloud infrastructure than diversified giants like Amazon or Microsoft.
  • The incredible stock performance highlights the explosive growth and investor enthusiasm for specialized AI infrastructure providers.
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Episode Description
Send us a text 00:00 - Intro 00:08 - Tether's $500B Valuation 00:54 - OpenAI-Nvidia $100B AI Powerhouse Deal 02:10 - Stripe BuyBack at $106.7B 02:48 - TikTok US Valuation at Only $14B! 03:45 - Fermi's $13B IPO for AI Data Center Energy 04:18 - 1X Robotics' $10B+ Valuation 05:21 - Anthropic for Microsoft AI Copilot 05:51 - Databricks-OpenAI $100M Enterprise Pact 06:26 - CoreWeave's $6.5B New OpenAI Deal
About This Week in Pre-IPO Stocks
This Week in Pre-IPO Stocks

This Week in Pre-IPO Stocks

By AG Dillon & Co

This Week in Pre-IPO Stocks reports on pre-IPO stock research, trends, trading, and venture capital funds. Visit www.agdillon.com for more.