Robinhood Ventures Fund I has invested $75 million in OpenAI common stock, marking one of the fund’s largest positions and reinforcing Robinhood’s push into private markets. The deal signals a broader strategy to give everyday investors exposure to high-growth private companies, an area that has traditionally been dominated by institutions and wealthy individuals.
A bigger bet on AI and private company access
The fund said it acquired the shares on April 17, adding OpenAI to a portfolio that already includes private-market names such as Stripe, Databricks, and Revolut. Sarah Pinto, president of the fund, described OpenAI as one of the defining companies in artificial intelligence and said the investment reflects the fund’s mission of giving ordinary investors access to transformative businesses shaping the future.
Robinhood’s move comes as the structure of U.S. capital markets continues to shift. According to figures cited by the company, the number of listed companies in the United States fell from around 7,000 in 2000 to roughly 4,000 in 2025. At the same time, companies have stayed private longer, allowing more value creation to happen before an IPO. Private companies now far outnumber public ones, and the private market has grown to more than $10 trillion in aggregate value.
Opening a market long reserved for institutions
Unlike a traditional private equity vehicle, Robinhood’s fund trades on the New York Stock Exchange as a structured closed-end fund under the ticker RVI. The report says it is designed to be accessible to a broader investor base, with no accredited-investor requirement and no minimum investment threshold. That structure is intended to narrow the gap between retail investors and fast-growing private businesses, particularly in sectors like AI and fintech where valuations can rise sharply before listing.
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has become one of the most closely watched companies in the AI industry. The source also notes that OpenAI completed a funding round of $122 billion at a valuation of $852 billion, with major backers including Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank. For Robinhood, adding OpenAI offers direct exposure to a leading AI name while also strengthening its position in the growing competition to bring private-market opportunities to retail investors.