Microsoft-backed OpenAI hit the $2 billion revenue milestone in December, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing two people with knowledge of the artificial intelligence (AI) start-up's finances.

OpenAI believes it can more than double this figure in 2025, based on strong interest from business customers seeking to use its technology to adopt generative AI tools in the workplace, the report said.

Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The company's annualized revenue topped $1.6 billion in December based on strong growth from its ChatGPT product, up from $1.3 billion as of mid-October, the Information had reported previously.

Investors have valued the San Francisco-based startup at more than $80 billion.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman is in talks with investors, including the UAE, to raise funds for a tech initiative to boost the world's chip-building capacity and expand its ability to power AI, among other things, the Wall Street Journal reported late on Thursday.

(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Varun H K)