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TRO | AI Companies Are Breaking Revenue Records Faster Than Ever
Your Meliora briefing on how GenAI and Creativity are unlocking a brighter, smarter future.
Meliora Company
September 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
Subscribe | 29th September, 2025
In this fast-moving GenAI world, headlines are everywhere but optimism is rare.
Here’s our take on 3 stories that we hope will help you see a smarter, brighter future.
1. ChatGPT Closes Gender Gap, Becomes More Inclusive
 | OpenAI has co-published the largest report to date on how people are using ChatGPT, providing the clearest picture yet of international adoption and behaviour at scale. Early gender gaps have flipped: women now slightly outnumber men among active users. |
Here’s why this matters: What began with a narrow set of early adopters now reflects something closer to the real world. And this growth pattern points to an AI future shaped by broader voices, richer perspectives and better representation - which is something that can only be good for humankind.
2. AI Companies Are Breaking Revenue Records, Fast
 | Stripe’s latest analysis of 100 leading AI companies shows they’re not just growing - they’re breaking records. The median AI company studied reaches $1M in annualised revenue in 11.5 months (four months faster than SaaS). Many are also selling into twice as many countries as SaaS companies at the same stage. |
Here’s why this matters: AI firms are hitting revenue milestones faster than any tech wave before, fuelling a cycle where early success gives founders the courage to expand sooner, reinvest earlier and take braver creative risks - meaning we see deeper innovation and more problems solved through technology.
3. Microsoft to Pilot ‘AI Marketplace’ for Publishers
 | Microsoft is in talks to pilot a Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM) - the first major tech platform to build a marketplace that compensates publishers for their content used by AI products, starting with Copilot. |
Here’s why this matters: This pilot could be the start of a sustainable model for journalism in the AI era. By standardising payments and creating real demand for quality content, Microsoft is setting a higher bar for how AI values intellectual property - better for publishers, better for users, better for the future.
Discover More
Google levels up Chrome by adding Gemini as an in-browser assistant.
We’re pleased to see OpenAI prioritising safety over privacy and freedom for teens, in a move to create significant protection for minors in a new and powerful technology.
Sam Altman aims to produce a gigawatt of new AI infrastructure every week in the ‘coolest and most important infrastructure project ever’.
The Middle East’s finally gets its first AI & Robotics Research Lab - further propelling the UAE’s growing role as an international AI and Robotics leader.
Forget product ambitions, Verizon has big platform ambitions as they look to convert their existing infrastructure into GenAI infrastructure.
Anthropic reports a shift toward education, science, and business tasks - indicating GenAI is expanding into domains that create broad societal value.
GenAI At Its Best
 | We like Source because it strips the complexity out of B2B buying, turning procurement into something faster, cleaner and easier for everyone. For businesses, that means freeing up team members to focus on strategic decisions, building customer relationships and growth. |
 | ElevenLabs offers audio leaders a chance to unlock growth and drive outcomes while keeping humans focussed on creativity. Their new Studio product lowers the barrier to professional-grade multimedia production - meaning more stories can be told. |
 | You’ve probably heard of no code builder Lovable and its astonishing growth - reaching $100M ARR in <9 months. Lovable offers anyone - regardless of your expertise - a creative way to lean in, try things and build something yourself. Give it a go. Who knows where it might take you. |
 | The Relentless Optimist PodcastHow do you convince Elton John to play an intimate gig at London’s Union Chapel? This week’s episode is about the night that shaped how we think about creative courage, timing, and making the impossible inevitable. It’s a story of how people and technology can merge to create moments that last. Listen to The Story of the Chapel of Elton now. |
Meliora Strategic Partner Focus
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A big thanks to Meliora Strategic Partner 18Sixty for bringing The Relentless Optimist podcast to life. An award-winning podcast agency that helps ambitious brands stand out, the 18Sixty team know how to create impact and drive growth through strategy and bold, compelling content. | This newsletter is supported by the team at Backchat Media - specialists in building digital strategy that delivers a strong ROI. From performance marketing to content production via GenAI enabled marketing workflows, Backchat works with media, government and eCommerce partners internationally. |