① OpenAI announced the acquisition of startup Ona, which provides a secure cloud runtime environment enabling AI agents to access necessary tools and information; ② In recent months, OpenAI has continued expanding through acquisitions to strengthen its competitiveness in the enterprise AI and AI programming tools markets.
Caixin News, June 12 (Editor: Zhao Hao) — OpenAI announced on its official website Thursday (June 11) that it will acquire the startup Ona.
Ona’s core business is providing a secure, pre-configured cloud runtime environment that enables artificial intelligence agents (AI Agents) to access required tools, systems, and contextual information.
OpenAI stated that Ona’s technology will help its AI programming assistant, Codex, perform longer-running and more complex tasks. Additionally, this technology will enable more enterprises to formally deploy AI agents capable of autonomously completing user tasks into production environments.
OpenAI did not disclose the specific financial terms of the acquisition, and the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the deal, all Ona employees will join OpenAI and be integrated into the Codex team.
Ona CEO Johannes Landgraf posted on social media: “I always thought selling the company would feel like an ending. But in reality, it feels more like our life’s work is becoming even grander and more significant.”
Source: OpenAI Official Website
Since launching its ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, OpenAI has ignited a global AI boom. In recent months, the company has significantly increased its investment in Codex, as an increasing number of software developers begin incorporating AI agents into their workflows.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is engaged in intense competition with its primary rival, Anthropic. Over the past year, Anthropic has experienced explosive growth, driven in part by the popularity of its AI programming assistant, Claude Code.
Data shows that Codex now has over 5 million weekly active users, a substantial increase from 3 million in April this year. Anthropic has not disclosed user figures for Claude Code.
This acquisition of Ona demonstrates OpenAI’s further strengthening of Codex and its AI agent ecosystem, as it seeks a leading position in the enterprise AI and AI-powered programming tools market.
To maintain competitive momentum, OpenAI has continued expanding through acquisitions over recent months:
In March this year, it announced the acquisition of Promptfoo, a cybersecurity startup;
In January this year, it acquired healthtech company Torch for approximately $60 million;
In October last year, it acquired software company Software Applications, which had previously developed an AI interaction interface named Sky for Apple;
In May last year, OpenAI announced its acquisition of io, an AI hardware startup founded by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, for over $6 billion, sending shockwaves through the tech industry.
Earlier this week, OpenAI announced that it has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while Anthropic also submitted a confidential IPO filing to regulators several days ago.
Editor/Liam