OpenAI to acquire developer tooling startup Astral in boost for Codex team

On Thursday, OpenAI revealed its plans to acquire Astral, a startup renowned for its popular open-source tools designed for software developers. This strategic move will see Astral's team integrate with OpenAI to enhance its AI coding assistant, Codex. While the financial specifics of the deal were not disclosed, Astral's founder and CEO Charlie Marsh emphasized in a blog post that the core mission remains unchanged: to revolutionize programming and create tools that significantly enhance the software development experience. The demand for AI coding assistants has surged over the past year, prompting OpenAI to compete aggressively with rivals such as Anthropic and Cursor, which offer their own innovative solutions for developers. OpenAI reported that Codex now boasts over 2 million active users weekly, marking a three-fold growth in user engagement since the beginning of the year. The acquisition of Astral is pending standard closing conditions, including regulatory approval. This move is part of a broader trend, as OpenAI has been actively pursuing acquisitions, including a notable $6.4 billion deal for Jony Ive's AI devices startup, io, in May 2025. Earlier this month, OpenAI announced its intention to acquire the cybersecurity firm Promptfoo and completed the acquisition of the health-tech startup Torch in January. Additionally, the recruitment of Google executive Albert Lee to lead corporate development indicates OpenAI's commitment to seeking further merger and acquisition opportunities to strengthen its market position.