OpenAI announces raft of partnerships with Australian companies

OpenAI has launched a nationwide initiative in Australia, partnering with the likes of NEXTDC,  CommBank, Coles, and Wesfarmers.

OpenAI will work with local partners through OpenAI for Australia - the first OpenAI for Countries program in the Asia Pacific region - to "support sovereign AI infrastructure, upskill Australians, and accelerate Australia’s local AI ecosystem.

OpenAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NEXTDC to develop a sovereign AI infrastructure partnership under the OpenAI for Australia program.

Through the MoU, OpenAI and NEXTDC will collaborate on the planning, development and operation of a hyperscale AI campus and large-scale GPU supercluster at NEXTDC’s S7 site in Eastern Creek, Sydney.

S7 is intended to deliver multi-year construction activity supporting thousands of skilled and indirect jobs; long-term technical and operational roles in AI and digital infrastructure; expanded opportunities for Australian manufacturers, engineers and suppliers;  accelerated AI adoption across industry and government; and strengthened STEM and AI-skills development pathways.

Commbank, Coles and Wesfarmers partnerships

OpenAI also announced a new skills initiative, joining forces with CommBank, Coles and Wesfarmers  to roll out AI skills training to more than 1.2 million Australian workers and small businesses.

Through OpenAI Academy, OpenAI’s AI-literacy training platform designed to make foundational AI skills accessible to everyone, Coles and Wesfarmers will rollout tailored training programs to their entire workforces, while Commonwealth Bank will make their training modules available for 1 million small business customers across Australia.

OpenAI’s in-house team of AI experts will work closely with these organisations to develop bespoke learning modules tailored to real-world Australian use cases.

Nationwide rollout of OpenAI Academy courses, created with these three organisations, will begin in 2026, marking one of the largest coordinated AI-skills initiatives in Australia’s history, according to the company.

In August, CommBank announced a multi-year strategic partnership with OpenAI to bring advanced generative AI capabilities to its customers and employees. Engineers from both organisations are collaborating on solutions to strengthen scam and fraud detection and deliver more personalised services. CommBank has also equipped many of its 48,000-strong workforce with ChatGPT enterprise. 

Employing more than 115,000 Australians, Coles is the first major retailer in the country to deploy GPT-5-powered tools to corporate teams to speed up research, reduce admin, surface insights and fuel innovation. Coles and OpenAI are also exploring how AI could reshape the shopping experience, from planning and purchasing to checkout.

Wesfarmers' - home to brands including Bunnings, Kmart, Target, Priceline and Officeworks - decision to bring OpenAI Academy training to its 118,000 team members builds on Wesfarmers’ existing adoption of AI across areas such as demand forecasting, product design, customer service and experience and conversational commerce.

New startup program and Sydney office

OpenAI will also launch its first startup program in Australia, delivered in partnership with Australian venture capital firms including Blackbird, Square Peg and AirTree. 

Through this program, OpenAI will provide participating start-ups with up to US$15,000 (AU$22,500) in API credits, technical mentorship from OpenAI engineers and global experts, and access to workshops on scaling, compliance and safety.

Startups can also receive additional credits when they participate in technical workshops.

In addition, OpenAI is launching an annual Founder Day in Australia, aiming to bring together the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs for hands-on product deep dives, demos and guidance as they build alongside OpenAI.

The opening of OpenAI’s first Australian office in Sydney with a local team partnering side by side with business, government and institutions was also announced,

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said Australia is well placed to be a global leader in AI, with deep technical talent, strong institutions and a clear ambition to use new technology to lift productivity.

"Through OpenAI for Australia, we are focused on accelerating the infrastructure, workforce skills and local ecosystem needed to turn that opportunity into long-term economic growth," he said.