Cognition CEO Scott Wu describes the sleepless weekend that led to the Windsurf deal: 'I live for these moments'

Scott Wu, CEO of Cognition, recently shared the intense experience of his company's acquisition of Windsurf, describing it as a moment he truly cherishes. In a conversation with Stripe co-founder John Collison on a recent podcast, Wu reflected on the whirlwind weekend that led to the strategic deal. In July, Cognition, known for its AI coding assistant Devin, revealed its acquisition of Windsurf, a company that was developing AI-assisted coding technologies. This move came shortly after Windsurf's leadership transitioned to Google, which had hired key executives and secured licenses for its technology following a failed collaboration with OpenAI. Wu emphasized that the acquisition encompassed Windsurf's intellectual property, product offerings, trademarks, and its talented workforce. "Above all, it includes Windsurf's world-class people, some of the best talent in our industry, whom we're privileged to welcome to our team," he stated in a blog post announcing the deal. The urgency of the acquisition arose when Cognition learned that the OpenAI partnership had collapsed and Google was quickly acquiring Windsurf's assets. Wu and his team swiftly reached out to Windsurf's new leadership that same evening, aiming to finalize arrangements by Monday morning. He noted that retaining Windsurf's talent was critical, as the uncertainty could have led employees to seek opportunities elsewhere. Cognition and Windsurf found a complementary fit, as Cognition had strengths in research and product engineering, while Windsurf retained essential enterprise functions. Wu pointed out that this synergy would benefit both firms and expand Cognition's customer base, as Windsurf had notable clients like JPMorgan, while Cognition worked with Goldman Sachs. The acquisition also opened doors for collaborative product development, with Cognition launching a significant update, Wave 11, shortly after the deal. Wu highlighted the potential for integrating Cognition's asynchronous capabilities with Windsurf's more synchronous offerings. Jeff Wang, Windsurf’s new CEO, recalled the emotional moment he announced the acquisition to his team, describing the overwhelming applause as a testament to their commitment. This acquisition comes at a time of heightened mergers and acquisitions activity in the tech sector, with August witnessing a record $2.6 trillion in deal-making, driven largely by advancements in AI technology. Wu predicts that the pace of these transactions will only escalate as the industry evolves, stating, "I think basically the games get bigger."