Chatbot startup Character.AI raised $150M led by a16z at a $1B valuation, after a $43M seed in December 2021, and plans to raise more from “strategic partners” (Cade Metz/New York Times)

Cade Metz / New York Times:
Chatbot startup Character.AI raised $150M led by a16z at a $1B valuation, after a $43M seed in December 2021, and plans to raise more from “strategic partners”  —  Founded by ex-Google employees, the Silicon Valley company is among the few start-ups poised to compete with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.