AI lab profile
OpenAI
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has launched OpenAI for Australia and signed an MoU with NEXTDC to develop an Australian Stargate AI data centre in Sydney.
Founded: 2015. Headquarters: San Francisco. CEO: Sam Altman.
Key figures
- S7 Stargate plan: About AU$7bn (NEXTDC S7, planned)
- Full build target: 612MW (Whole S7 site at full build-out (planning documents, July 2026); OpenAI's share undisclosed)
- First phase: H2 2027 (expected, subject to approvals)
- NEXTDC S7 Stargate: About AU$7bn (Planned infrastructure deal)
- Capacity plan: 612MW (Whole S7 site at full build-out (planning documents, July 2026); OpenAI's share undisclosed)
- First phase: H2 2027 (Expected, subject to approvals)
Profile summary
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Global HQ | San Francisco |
| CEO | Sam Altman |
| Structure | OpenAI Group PBC under the OpenAI Foundation |
| Australian program | OpenAI for Australia |
| Australian office | Sydney, opened as part of OpenAI's Asia-Pacific expansion alongside Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Delhi, as reported by Bloomberg on 28 Aug 2026 |
| Regional leadership | Sandhya Devanathan, vice president for Australia and Southeast Asia, based in Singapore and reporting to Asia-Pacific managing director Kiran Mani, expected to start in October 2026, as reported by Bloomberg on 28 Aug 2026 |
| Australian data centre | NEXTDC Stargate, S7 Eastern Creek, Western Sydney |
| Planned scale | About AU$7bn, roughly 258,000 sqm and 612MW at full build-out. 612MW is the whole S7 site at full build-out, from planning documents reported in July 2026. NEXTDC has also given 550MW (October 2024) and 650MW (December 2025 and August 2026), on different bases rather than in conflict. OpenAI's share has not been disclosed |
| Timeline | First phase expected H2 2027, subject to approvals; S7 still in planning works at NEXTDC's FY26 result (27 Aug 2026) |
| Role | Foundational customer of the NEXTDC S7 campus |
| Training | OpenAI Academy for 1.2m+ Australians with CommBank, Coles and Wesfarmers |
| Infrastructure partner | NEXTDC |
OpenAI in Australia
OpenAI for Australia is the company's first OpenAI for Countries program in the Asia-Pacific, combining AI adoption programs with a planned sovereign compute build. The initiative sits under OpenAI for Countries, which George Osborne has led globally since January 2026. Bloomberg reported on 28 August 2026 that OpenAI has opened offices in Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Delhi as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion, and that it had named Sandhya Devanathan as vice president for Australia and Southeast Asia, a newly created role covering consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement and operations. By that account she is based in Singapore, reports to Asia-Pacific managing director Kiran Mani, and is expected to start in October 2026.
OpenAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NEXTDC to develop an Australian Stargate facility at NEXTDC's S7 site at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney, where OpenAI is the foundational customer. The plan covers about A$7 billion across roughly 258,000 square metres of developable land, with 612MW at full build-out. Subject to approvals, the first phase is expected in the second half of 2027. The facility will be developed and operated by NEXTDC, and the New South Wales Government has welcomed the investment. Separately, in September 2026 OpenAI signed a multi-year agreement to take dedicated capacity at two AI factories in Malaysia operated by the Australian company Firmus; the NEXTDC S7 campus remains OpenAI's only Australian data centre commitment and remains a memorandum of understanding.
OpenAI Academy provides AI skills training for more than 1.2 million Australian workers and small businesses in partnership with CommBank, Coles and Wesfarmers. OpenAI also runs an Australian startup program with Blackbird, Square Peg and AirTree, and startups receive up to US$15,000 in API credits.
Australian compute and data centre commitments
OpenAI's Australian compute commitment is structured around a planned NEXTDC S7 Stargate facility in Western Sydney. As at 9 October 2026 the NEXTDC arrangement remains a memorandum of understanding; no lease or contract has been announced.
| Commitment | Partner or location | Scope | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Stargate | NEXTDC S7, Eastern Creek, Western Sydney | About AU$7bn, roughly 258,000 sqm and 612MW at full build-out; first phase expected H2 2027; designed for closed-loop liquid cooling | Planned |
| OpenAI for Australia | Australia | National AI adoption and sovereign infrastructure program | Announced |
| OpenAI Academy | Australia | Training for 1.2m+ workers and small businesses | Announced |
| Firmus AI factories, Malaysia | Firmus, Malaysia | Two sites, capacity and value undisclosed. Multi-year agreement with the Australian company Firmus as anchor customer; capacity is outside Australia | Announced 8 Sep 2026 |
Government and partnerships
| Date | Program or agreement | Scope | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | NEXTDC Stargate MoU | Australian AI data centre at S7 Eastern Creek | OpenAI and NEXTDC |
| Dec 2025 | OpenAI for Australia | AI adoption and sovereign infrastructure program | OpenAI for Countries |
| Rollout from 2026 (announced Dec 2025) | OpenAI Academy and startup program | Training for 1.2m+ Australians; up to US$15,000 API credits for startups | CommBank, Coles, Wesfarmers; Blackbird, Square Peg, AirTree |
| 9 Aug 2026 | MoU with the South Australian Government | AI skills, local research and innovation, investment | Premier Peter Malinauskas, signed with OpenAI president Greg Brockman in San Francisco |
| Sep 2026 | Australian government talks | OpenAI vice president of global policy Ann O'Leary met Queensland Premier David Crisafulli in Sacramento, and OpenAI confirmed Sam Altman would meet the Marles delegation in San Francisco. Nothing signed | Queensland Government and Australian Government (Courier Mail, 3 Sep 2026) |
Programs and platform
OpenAI's Australian compute plan centres on a planned GPU supercluster and hyperscale AI campus at NEXTDC S7.
The facility is described as developed and operated by NEXTDC, with OpenAI as the AI infrastructure customer and program partner.
OpenAI Academy is the public training program attached to the Australian rollout.
The S7 campus is designed for closed-loop liquid cooling, in which the same water circulates through the cooling system again and again. An earlier design would have used recycled water, and that plan was dropped when the supply pipeline it required failed to gain planning permission, as reported by Reuters in July 2026. NEXTDC chief executive Craig Scroggie told Reuters that recycled water has real merit and that NEXTDC considers it wherever that infrastructure exists.
Leadership
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Sam Altman | CEO. OpenAI chief executive |
| George Osborne | OpenAI for Countries. Global lead from Jan 2026 |
| Kiran Mani | Managing Director, Asia-Pacific. Leads OpenAI across the region |
| Sandhya Devanathan | Vice President, Australia and Southeast Asia. Expected to start October 2026, based in Singapore, as reported by Bloomberg |
How OpenAI compares
| Lab | Australian presence | Government engagement | Compute commitment | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Sydney office and OpenAI for Australia | OpenAI for Australia; MoU with the South Australian Government (Aug 2026) | NEXTDC S7 Stargate MoU | OpenAI Academy |
| Anthropic | Sydney office open since April 2026 | National AI Plan MoU | Western Downs lease, first stage, subject to approvals; reported 1.4GW tender; Theseus venture (US focus) | AI for Science |
Latest coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OpenAI have data centres in Australia?
Not yet. OpenAI has signed an MoU with NEXTDC for a planned Stargate AI data centre at S7 in Western Sydney, with the first phase expected in the second half of 2027.
What is OpenAI's Stargate in Australia?
A planned hyperscale AI campus and GPU supercluster at NEXTDC's S7 site at Eastern Creek, sized at 612MW at full build-out. 612MW is the whole S7 site at full build-out, from planning documents reported in July 2026. NEXTDC has also given 550MW (October 2024) and 650MW (December 2025 and August 2026), on different bases rather than in conflict. OpenAI's share has not been disclosed.
Is OpenAI partnering with NEXTDC?
Yes. NEXTDC will develop and operate the S7 campus, with OpenAI as its foundational customer.
How big is the OpenAI Sydney data centre?
The plan covers about A$7 billion and 612MW at full build-out across roughly 258,000 square metres. 612MW is the whole S7 site at full build-out, from planning documents reported in July 2026. NEXTDC has also given 550MW (October 2024) and 650MW (December 2025 and August 2026), on different bases rather than in conflict. OpenAI's share has not been disclosed.
What is OpenAI for Australia?
A national program combining AI adoption and skills initiatives with the planned NEXTDC Stargate build. It is OpenAI's first OpenAI for Countries program in the Asia-Pacific.
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