AI startup OpenAI has acquired the domain name Chat.com for an undisclosed amount, TechCrunch reports.

The domain name, which was registered in September 1996, now redirects to OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT.

The move will add to OpenAI’s collection of high-profile domain names and represents a strategic asset acquisition, the news publication said.

It was previously reported that Chat.com was acquired by HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah for $15.5 million in 2023, making it one of the top two publicly reported domain sales of all time.

Shah announced in a post on

The domain name’s records show that it has not changed hands since last year’s sale, indicating that OpenAI is not using Chat.com to host ChatGPT.

This suggests that the acquisition does not represent a rebranding, but rather a strategic purchase.

In recent developments, OpenAI has integrated web search capabilities into ChatGPT, challenging established search engines such as Google and Microsoft’s Bing.

With the upgrade, ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers can access up-to-date information directly through the chat interface, increasing the usability of the bot.

In addition, the company partnered with Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to develop its first custom AI chip.

In October 2024, OpenAI secured $6.6 billion in its latest funding round, potentially boosting its valuation to an estimated $157 billion.

The funding round saw contributions from existing investors such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures, as well as major corporate backer Microsoft and new investor NVIDIA.

“OpenAI Acquires Chat.com Domain” was originally created and published by Verdict, a brand owned by GlobalData.

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