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OpenAI launched a beta on November 10 that lets businesses claim ChatGPT profiles, add product information and view aggregated engagement insights. Founder Francis Davidson said OpenAI acquired his travel startup Odessia, while media reports put OpenAI’s third-quarter revenue at about $10 billion and operating losses at $10.9 billion.
OpenAI launched a beta on November 10 that lets businesses claim profiles in ChatGPT, provide product details and track aggregated engagement. The launch coincided with founder Francis Davidson’s announcement that OpenAI acquired his travel startup, Odessia, and reports that OpenAI generated about $10 billion in third-quarter revenue.
The new Businesses in ChatGPT beta has two parts, according to OpenAI statements reported by Reuters, The Verge and TechCrunch. In Business Hub, companies can claim and verify a profile, update details and add product feeds with pricing and availability. The Hub shows aggregated figures such as mentions in ChatGPT responses, profile views, website clicks and topics associated with discovery.
Eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses can also offer Business Agents. These agents answer questions about a company’s offerings in a separate conversation that OpenAI says is clearly labeled and kept apart from the user’s main chat. Businesses set the agents’ instructions and provide their context. They can sponsor an agent as a destination for ChatGPT Ads, with sponsored placements labeled.
OpenAI says it does not share users’ conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses. It also says insights are shown only after activity reaches certain thresholds. The company has not publicly detailed how profile verification works. Existing Enterprise customers and advertisers can claim profiles through an OpenAI representative; Shopify merchants can connect through Business Hub or Shopify’s admin.
A New Channel for Business Discovery
The beta lets businesses supply information directly to ChatGPT and view selected engagement metrics. OpenAI has not provided data on how much customer traffic or sales profiles will generate. The initial metrics include mentions, views and clicks.
Profiles and agents provide users with another way to find product information in ChatGPT. The beta also includes sponsored agents and ads. OpenAI says sponsored placements will be labeled and private chats will not be shared with businesses. The company has not described how competing businesses will be presented.
Financial reports offer additional context on the company’s operations. The Information reported roughly $10 billion in third-quarter revenue, and Bloomberg reported quarter-over-quarter growth of nearly 50%, citing a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal, in reporting cited by Reuters, put operating losses at $10.9 billion for the same quarter. OpenAI has not published financial statements confirming those figures.
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From ChatGPT Shopping to Profiles
OpenAI has previously tried to make ChatGPT a shopping destination. TechCrunch reported that an earlier effort involving direct checkout and commissions did not gain traction and was retired in March. The new beta focuses on business information, product feeds, referrals and conversations with company agents.
OpenAI has also been developing advertising in ChatGPT. In August, the company said its ads had reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate. That figure is a run-rate measure, not a report of revenue earned during a specific quarter. The new option to sponsor a Business Agent adds another route for companies to pay for visibility.
Odessia is a separate development announced on the same day. Its founder, Francis Davidson, said OpenAI acquired the AI travel agent startup and that he would join OpenAI. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson’s hire to TechCrunch. Neither the acquisition price nor other terms were disclosed in the source reports.
“Davidson announced that OpenAI acquired Odessia and that he is joining OpenAI.”
— Francis Davidson, Odessia founder
Verification, Reach and Deal Terms
OpenAI has not explained publicly how it verifies different kinds of businesses, how the activity thresholds for insights work, or how it selects which profiles and agents appear in answers. The beta’s availability is limited to eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses for Business Agents; the source material does not specify a broader rollout schedule.
The reported revenue, growth rate and operating losses have not been confirmed in published OpenAI financial statements. The reports rely on sources familiar with the company’s finances, and their precise accounting definitions are not fully detailed in the material provided. Odessia’s purchase price and other terms also remain undisclosed.
The effects of the profiles on referrals, purchases or business visibility have not been established. OpenAI has not detailed how sponsored agents will appear alongside other recommendations in practice. Its statements about labeling and privacy describe its stated policies; the source material does not provide independent measurements of how the features work after launch.
Watch for Beta Expansion Details
OpenAI’s next steps are to continue the Businesses in ChatGPT beta and add participating companies through its stated routes, including representatives for existing Enterprise customers and advertisers and connections for Shopify merchants. The company has not announced a date for wider access in the source material.
Businesses and users will be able to judge the feature more clearly as profile and agent availability expands and OpenAI provides further detail on verification, eligibility, reporting thresholds and sponsored placements. Further financial disclosures would also clarify the reported quarterly revenue and losses; the company has not published statements confirming the figures cited in media reports.
Key Questions
What did OpenAI launch on November 10?
OpenAI introduced a beta called Businesses in ChatGPT. It includes Business Hub profiles with company and product information, plus Business Agents for eligible U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses.
What can a business see in Business Hub?
OpenAI says businesses can see aggregated insights such as mentions in ChatGPT responses, profile views, website clicks and topics associated with discovery. The company says insights appear only after activity passes certain thresholds.
Did OpenAI confirm revenue of $10 billion?
No published financial statements in the source material confirm the figure. The Information reported about $10 billion in third-quarter revenue; Bloomberg separately reported nearly 50% growth over the prior quarter, citing a person familiar with the matter.
What is known about the Odessia acquisition?
Founder Francis Davidson announced that OpenAI acquired the AI travel agent startup and that he would join OpenAI. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson’s hire to TechCrunch. The acquisition terms were not disclosed.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
