23 Daily — According to techcrunch.com, OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering (IPO) in 2027. Brockman pointed to accelerating enterprise revenue growth and a business turnaround as key factors contributing to the company's confidence in going public within the next few years.
Accelerating Enterprise Revenue Signals IPO Readiness
On November 4, 2026, at a Wall Street Journal tech conference, Greg Brockman revealed that OpenAI has significantly expanded its presence in the enterprise market, establishing itself as a strong competitor. Although late to enter, OpenAI is rapidly catching up to rivals like Anthropic in providing enterprise services.
Brockman noted that the first and second quarters of 2026 were challenging, with OpenAI lagging behind Anthropic in agentic coding capabilities. Despite possessing Codex technology, OpenAI had little market buzz until dedicated execution and improvements led to a recovery.
Enterprise Clients Become Primary Revenue Source
In the third quarter, OpenAI's enterprise business saw strong momentum, with a 70% quarter-over-quarter annualized revenue growth. The enterprise segment's revenue share jumped from around 30% to become the company's main revenue driver. Consumer revenue also grew, but enterprise expansion was more significant.
Brockman highlighted partnerships with major clients like JPMorgan Chase as examples of OpenAI securing large enterprise deals, affirming its increasing market strength.
Editor's take: Strategic enterprise pivot offers lessons for startups
OpenAI's successful shift from consumer-focused to solid enterprise service provider highlights the importance of strategic market positioning and revenue model adaptation for tech startups. With growing enterprise demand, building trust and long-term partnerships with major clients not only boosts revenue but also solidifies the foundation for a forthcoming IPO.
Entrepreneurs can observe how OpenAI adjusted products and strategies to penetrate the enterprise market and consider how their own business models might evolve toward high growth and fundability. Validating such a model through customer focus and execution can help assess growth potential and competitive standing.