OpenAI acquires product testing startup Statsig and shakes up its leadership team

In a significant move to enhance its product development capabilities, OpenAI has announced its acquisition of Statsig, a startup specializing in product testing. The deal, valued at $1.1 billion and executed through an all-stock transaction, represents one of the largest acquisitions in the company's history, according to OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood. The acquisition is part of OpenAI's strategy to bolster its Applications division, now led by Fidji Simo, who recently transitioned from her role as CEO of Instacart. Vijaye Raji, the founder and CEO of Statsig, will step into the role of Chief Technology Officer for Applications at OpenAI. Raji is expected to drive product engineering efforts for ChatGPT, the AI coding tool Codex, and other upcoming applications. OpenAI believes that integrating Statsig’s experimentation platform will significantly speed up product development within the Applications team. Meanwhile, the company is also undergoing a leadership transformation. Kevin Weil, the Chief Product Officer, will now lead a new initiative called OpenAI for Science, aimed at creating an AI-powered platform to propel scientific discovery. Weil expressed confidence in the direction of OpenAI, stating, "I’m able to do this because the product and design leaders at OpenAI are amazing, and now are complemented by Fidji Simo beginning her role as CEO of Applications." He will collaborate with Sebastien Bubeck, an OpenAI researcher and former VP of AI at Microsoft. Additionally, Srinivas Narayanan, the current head of engineering, will transition to the role of CTO of B2B Applications, where he will work closely with COO Brad Lightcap to strengthen enterprise customer relationships. The acquisition of Statsig is subject to regulatory review, and upon completion, all Statsig employees will join the OpenAI team. The startup will maintain its independent operations and continue serving its clientele from its Seattle office.