OpenAI Acquires Statsig, Appoints New CTO for Applications

OpenAI has announced the acquisition of product testing startup Statsig in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion. As part of the deal, Statsig's founder and CEO, Vijaye Raji, will join OpenAI as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Applications, overseeing product engineering for ChatGPT and Codex.

Founded in 2021, Statsig specializes in tools for A/B testing, feature flagging, and real-time decision-making, assisting software developers in evaluating and refining new features. The company's platform has been adopted by major technology firms, including OpenAI, to enhance product development processes.

Vijaye Raji brings a wealth of experience to his new role at OpenAI. Prior to founding Statsig, he spent a decade in senior engineering leadership positions at Meta Platforms Inc., where he was instrumental in scaling consumer and enterprise products. In his new capacity, Raji will report to Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, and will be responsible for core systems, infrastructure, and integrity operations.

"Vijaye has a remarkable record of building new consumer and B2B products and systems at scale," said Simo. "His leadership will help turn that progress into safe applications that empower people with many new tools to improve their lives, help companies increase their impact, and allow developers to build faster and better products."

Pending regulatory approval, Statsig will continue to operate independently from its Seattle office, with all employees transitioning to OpenAI. This approach aims to ensure continuity for Statsig's existing customer base while leveraging OpenAI's resources to accelerate innovation.

The acquisition reflects OpenAI's commitment to enhancing its product development capabilities through advanced experimentation and testing platforms. By integrating Statsig's tools, OpenAI aims to improve feature rollout efficiency, enhance safety metrics, and support more granular analytics across its product lines.

This move comes amid a competitive landscape in the AI industry, with companies like Anthropic raising significant funding to advance their AI capabilities. OpenAI's strategic acquisitions, including this one, position it to maintain a leading edge in AI product development.

In addition to Raji's appointment, OpenAI has announced other leadership changes. Srinivas Narayanan, previously head of engineering responsible for the development of ChatGPT and developer APIs, has been promoted to CTO of B2B Applications. In this role, Narayanan will oversee business-side applications, spanning startups, enterprises, and government entities, reporting directly to Brad Lightcap, OpenAI's COO.

Furthermore, Kevin Weil, OpenAI's Chief Product Officer, is transitioning to the research division of the company. Weil will establish a new team as VP of AI for Science, collaborating closely with Mark Chen, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer. As part of this transition, Weil's former product team, including Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, will now report directly to Fidji Simo.

These strategic moves underscore OpenAI's dedication to advancing AI applications and research, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of the rapidly evolving AI industry.