OpenAI targets 2027 IPO as enterprise revenue grows 70% and security focus expands

The path to a 2027 IPO

OpenAI is signaling a clear timeline for its transition into a public company. President Greg Brockman stated during a Wall Street Journal tech conference that the company expects to be ready for an IPO in 2027. He expressed high confidence in the current direction of the business despite some hurdles in the early part of 2026.

The company faced a period of competition where it was not part of the early conversation regarding agentic coding. While rivals like Anthropic gained some market share in that specific niche, OpenAI chose to focus on internal execution. This strategy appears to be paying off as the company stabilizes its commercial offerings.

The financial health of the company is a primary driver for these public listing goals. Brockman noted that the business is performing well, with significant growth in both consumer and corporate sectors. This stability provides the necessary foundation for a successful move to the public markets in the coming years.

Dominance in the enterprise market

A major shift is occurring in how OpenAI makes its money. Enterprise revenue now accounts for the majority of the company's total income, a significant jump from roughly 30% just one year ago. This shift indicates that large corporations are becoming the primary engine for the company's growth.

The company has been aggressive in winning over major financial and corporate clients. Brockman highlighted a recent partnership with JPMorgan Chase as a key example of this trend. Only a year ago, many businesses were skeptical about whether OpenAI was truly committed to serving the needs of the enterprise market.

While the corporate side is booming, consumer revenue continues to see steady growth as well. This dual-track success allows OpenAI to maintain its brand presence with the general public while securing the high-value contracts that drive its primary revenue stream. The company is successfully moving from a novelty to a utility.

AI-driven cybersecurity push

OpenAI is expanding its footprint in the cybersecurity space with new tools and programs. The company launched ChatGPT Cyber, a model designed to help identify software flaws. It is currently available to Daybreak Red, which is the highest tier for researchers who focus on offensive security to find weaknesses before hackers do.

The effectiveness of these models has already been demonstrated in practical testing. A researcher used a model through the Daybreak Blue program to find a severe vulnerability in the Ubuntu server codebase. The model identified the complex flaw within two hours, leading to a patch being issued by the Debian Project.

To support broader safety, OpenAI has committed $1 billion to help defend critical infrastructure like water systems and power grids. They are also allocating significant compute power to find and patch open-source vulnerabilities for free. This initiative aims to provide a safety net for the underlying software that many global systems rely on.

A New Deal for AI policy

OpenAI is also looking toward the political landscape ahead of the 2028 election. Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane proposed a vision for AI policy that he compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. His proposal includes five priorities, including worker protections, education, and enforceable safety standards for the technology.

Lehane argued that the economic impact of AI could be similar to the massive shifts seen during the New Deal era. He suggested that the government should provide tax incentives for AI skills and establish clear safety requirements. However, he warned that a total moratorium on data centers could cause the United States to lose its lead over China.

The proposal has already sparked debate among policy experts and researchers. Some critics argue that the New Deal comparison is ahistorical and assumes that AI adoption will automatically benefit society. Others have questioned the sincerity of OpenAI's safety stances, pointing to the company's past positions on specific state-level safety laws.