AI startup OpenAI has acquired the domain name Chat.com for an undisclosed sum, TechCrunch reported.

The domain name, which was registered in September 1996, now redirects to OpenAI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT.

This move will add to OpenAI's collection of high-profile domain names and signifies a strategic asset acquisition, the news publication added.

Chat.com was previously reported to have been acquired in 2023 by HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah for $15.5m, ranking it among the top two all-time publicly reported domain sales.

Shah disclosed in a post on X that he sold Chat.com to an unnamed buyer, which he has now confirmed to be OpenAI, hinting that the transaction involved OpenAI shares.

The domain name's records suggest that it has not changed hands since last year's sale, indicating that OpenAI is not using Chat.com to host ChatGPT.

This suggests that the acquisition does not represent a rebranding but rather a strategic purchase.

In recent developments, OpenAI integrated web search capabilities into ChatGPT, challenging established search engines such as Google and Microsoft's Bing.

The upgrade allows ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers to access up-to-date information directly through the chat interface, enhancing the bot's utility.

Additionally, the Company entered into a collaboration with Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to develop its first custom AI chip.

In October 2024, OpenAI secured $6.6bn in its latest funding round, potentially raising its valuation to an estimated $157bn.

The funding round saw contributions from existing investors such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures, as well as principal corporate supporter Microsoft and new investor NVIDIA.