OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive's AI Startup io for $6.5 Billion

May 21, 2025
OpenAI has announced the acquisition of io, an AI hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion in stock. This move will integrate io's team into OpenAI's operations.
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive's AI Startup io for $6.5 Billion
Image: OpenAI

OpenAI has announced the acquisition of io Products, an AI hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion in stock. This acquisition, announced on OpenAI's website, will see io's team merge with OpenAI's existing operations, forming a new hardware division led by Peter Welinder.

The deal, expected to close this summer, will bring Jony Ive, known for his design work at Apple, into a key creative role at OpenAI. The first products from this collaboration are anticipated to be unveiled in 2026. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, expressed excitement about partnering with Ive, highlighting his exceptional design capabilities.

This acquisition builds on a previous collaboration between OpenAI and io, where OpenAI already held a stake in the company. The integration aims to enhance OpenAI's capabilities in developing AI-powered devices, leveraging Ive's design expertise to create innovative products.

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