CapitalG backs OpenRouter at $1.3B valuation as Google expands AI payments
Alphabet’s venture fund CapitalG led a $113 million Series B in AI gateway maker OpenRouter, boosting its valuation to $1.3 billion from $547 million a year ago. Google also supports AI-driven onchain payments through integration with Coinbase’s new Base Model Context Protocol tool.
1. CapitalG’s $113M Series B Investment
CapitalG, Alphabet’s growth venture fund, led a $113 million Series B round for OpenRouter, raising its post-money valuation to $1.3 billion from $547 million a year prior. Founded in 2023, the startup now provides access to over 400 AI models and processes about 25 trillion tokens weekly, up from 5 trillion six months ago.
2. Google’s Integration with Base MCP for AI Payments
Google is participating in agent-based commerce through integration with Coinbase’s new Base Model Context Protocol tool, which connects user accounts to AI interfaces like ChatGPT and Claude for onchain payments. Base MCP supports plugins for major decentralized finance services, enabling agents to prepare transactions while keeping users in an approval loop without accessing private keys.
