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TL;DR
OpenAI launched a beta for business profiles and product feeds in ChatGPT on Nov. 10, alongside tools for some U.S. businesses to offer labeled AI agents. Founder Francis Davidson said OpenAI acquired his travel startup Odessia; separate reports put OpenAI’s third-quarter revenue at about $10 billion and operating losses at $10.9 billion.
OpenAI launched a beta business platform in ChatGPT on Nov. 10, letting companies claim profiles, provide product information and track aggregated user activity, as it also acquired travel startup Odessia. On the same day, media reports put OpenAI’s third-quarter revenue at about $10 billion, a figure that has not been published in company financial statements.
The new offering, called Businesses in ChatGPT, has two components. In Business Hub, companies can claim and verify a profile, update key details and submit product feeds with pricing and availability. OpenAI says the hub provides aggregated data on mentions in ChatGPT responses, profile views, website clicks and the topics through which users discover a business, according to Reuters and other outlets.
Eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses can also create Business Agents. These agents answer questions about a company’s offerings in a separate, labeled conversation, using instructions and information supplied by the business. A company may sponsor its agent as a destination for ChatGPT Ads. OpenAI says the conversations are kept separate from users’ main chats and are not shared with businesses; insights appear only after activity passes certain thresholds.
Odessia founder Francis Davidson announced the acquisition and said he is joining OpenAI. The terms were not disclosed. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson’s hire to TechCrunch. Separately, The Information reported third-quarter revenue of about $10 billion, while Bloomberg reported growth of nearly 50% from the prior quarter, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI has not released financial statements. The Wall Street Journal, as reported by Reuters, put operating losses for the quarter at $10.9 billion.
OpenAI expands ChatGPT for business Profiles, agents and reported revenue
OpenAI launched business profiles and labeled agents in ChatGPT, acquired travel startup Odessia and was reported to have reached about $10 billion in third-quarter revenue.
A new business channel
Businesses in ChatGPT combines profiles, product information and conversations with potential paid placement.
Claim a profile
Companies can verify details, submit product feeds and see aggregated mentions, views and clicks.
Answer customer questions
Eligible U.S. businesses can offer labeled agents using company-provided information.
Sponsored destinations
Businesses may sponsor their agents; OpenAI says sponsored agents will be labeled.
What the launch means
Profiles and product feeds bring business information closer to the point where users seek advice or compare options.
Companies claim a profile and submit pricing and availability through product feeds.
Structured details can support accurate recommendations; activity insights are aggregated.
Eligible U.S. businesses can answer questions in a separate conversation.
Growth and profitability
The reported figures describe different sides of the quarter and have not been confirmed in public financial statements.
- About $10 billion in third-quarter revenue, reported by The Information.
- Nearly 50% growth from the prior quarter, reported by Bloomberg.
- $10.9 billion in quarterly operating losses, reported by The Wall Street Journal.
- OpenAI has not published financial statements confirming these figures.
Acquisition and open questions
Odessia founder Francis Davidson announced the acquisition and said he is joining OpenAI.
| Known | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| OpenAI acquired the travel startup Odessia. | Acquisition terms and integration plans. |
| The business tools are in beta. | Full eligibility, verification details and broader rollout schedule. |
| Some U.S. businesses can offer agents. | How agents affect ordinary recommendations. |
ChatGPT Becomes a Business Channel
The launch gives businesses a way to manage how their products and services are described inside ChatGPT, while giving OpenAI a potential route to connect discovery with paid placement. For merchants, mentions, views and clicks could become new measures of visibility in AI-generated answers. Product feeds also give the system structured information on price and availability, which can affect whether a recommendation is accurate.
The offering brings commercial activity closer to the point where people ask for advice or compare options. OpenAI says sponsored agents will be labeled, but the broader effects on how businesses are ranked or selected are not detailed. The reported revenue and loss figures also underline that growth does not by itself establish profitability: the $10 billion revenue estimate and the reported operating loss describe different sides of the quarter.
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From Checkout Tests to Profiles
OpenAI’s announcement describes the beta as an early step toward bringing businesses into ChatGPT. The company said it is starting with business information, insights and conversations intended to help users make decisions. The profile and agent features build on a broader effort to make ChatGPT a place where users can discover businesses and products, not only ask general questions.
TechCrunch reported that an earlier OpenAI attempt to turn ChatGPT into a shopping hub—with direct checkout and commissions—did not gain traction and was retired in March. The company had also said in August that ChatGPT Ads had reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate; that figure is a run-rate measure, not revenue earned over a full year. The new business tools add profiles and agents to that commercial effort.
Verification, Revenue and Reach
OpenAI has not explained the precise verification process for businesses or published full eligibility criteria beyond the initial U.S. categories. It also has not specified the thresholds that must be met before aggregated insights appear, or explained how product data and business-agent answers affect ChatGPT recommendations. The service is in beta, so its availability and features may change.
The financial figures remain media reports, not audited public results. OpenAI has not published financial statements confirming the reported revenue, quarter-over-quarter growth or operating loss. The terms of the Odessia acquisition were not disclosed, and the material provided does not establish how its travel product or team will be integrated.
Beta Rollout and Integration
Businesses will be able to claim profiles through Business Hub; existing OpenAI Enterprise customers and advertisers can do so through their OpenAI representative, while Shopify merchants can connect through Business Hub or Shopify’s admin, according to the reports. OpenAI has not announced a broader rollout schedule or additional markets. The next concrete developments to watch are changes to beta access, verification details and the range of businesses that can use agents.
OpenAI may also clarify how sponsored agents appear alongside ordinary ChatGPT answers and what safeguards govern business-provided information. For Odessia, further details about the acquisition and Davidson’s role could show how the travel startup fits into OpenAI’s products. Any fuller account of the company’s third-quarter finances would require figures from OpenAI itself; until then, the reported revenue and loss figures should be treated as estimates attributed to their sources.
Key Questions
What did OpenAI launch for businesses in ChatGPT?
OpenAI launched a beta called Businesses in ChatGPT. It includes a Business Hub for claimed profiles, product feeds and aggregated activity insights, plus Business Agents for eligible U.S. businesses.
Can companies pay to appear in ChatGPT?
Businesses can sponsor their Business Agents as destinations for ChatGPT Ads, according to OpenAI’s announcement as reported by media outlets. Sponsored placements are to be labeled. The available information does not explain all rules for ordinary recommendations.
Did OpenAI confirm $10 billion in third-quarter revenue?
No public financial statements confirming that amount were cited. The Information reported revenue of about $10 billion; Bloomberg reported nearly 50% growth from the prior quarter, citing a person familiar with the matter.
What is known about OpenAI’s acquisition of Odessia?
Founder Francis Davidson announced that OpenAI acquired the AI travel agent startup and that he is joining the company. Acquisition terms and integration plans have not been disclosed in the source material.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
