OpenAI just pulled off one of its largest deals ever, acquiring product testing startup Statsig for $1.1 billion in an all-stock transaction. The move brings Statsig founder Vijaye Raji aboard as CTO of Applications while triggering a major leadership reshuffle that signals the ChatGPT maker's aggressive push into enterprise applications and scientific research.
OpenAI just made its biggest bet on product acceleration, announcing a $1.1 billion all-stock acquisition of product testing startup Statsig that immediately reshuffles the company's executive ranks. The deal, confirmed by OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood to TechCrunch, represents one of the largest acquisitions in the ChatGPT maker's history.
Statsig founder and CEO Vijaye Raji steps directly into the newly created role of CTO of Applications, reporting to former Instacart CEO Fidji Simo, who joined OpenAI just weeks ago to lead the Applications business. Raji will oversee product engineering for ChatGPT, the company's AI coding tool Codex, and future consumer-facing applications.
The acquisition triggers immediate leadership changes across OpenAI's C-suite. Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil announced on LinkedIn that he's transitioning to lead a new division called "OpenAI for Science," focused on building "the next great scientific instrument: an AI-powered platform that accelerates scientific discovery." Weil will collaborate closely with Sebastien Bubeck, an OpenAI researcher and former Microsoft VP of AI.
Simultaneously, current head of engineering Srinivas Narayanan announced his move to CTO of B2B Applications, where he'll work directly with COO Brad Lightcap on enterprise customer relationships. The coordinated announcements suggest OpenAI is splitting its focus between consumer applications and enterprise solutions while carving out a dedicated scientific research arm.
Statsig's experimentation platform has quietly powered product testing for major tech companies, making it a strategic asset for OpenAI's rapid product iteration needs. "Bringing Statsig's experimentation platform in-house will accelerate product development across the Applications organization," stated in its .
