OpenAI buys Statsig for $1.1 billion, hires CEO as applications exec

OpenAI continued its spending spree, announcing on Tuesday that it has acquired Statsig, a product development startup, for $1.1 billion.

Statsig helps OpenAI and other companies test features and use real-time data in their operations. As part of the acquisition, Statsig CEO Vijaye Raji is joining OpenAI as technology chief in the applications unit. He will report to Fidji Simo, the former Instacart CEO who was tapped to lead OpenAI’s applications business⁠ in May.

“Working with the incredible team at OpenAI to build AI-powered experiences at scale for people and businesses is a rare and meaningful opportunity,” Raji wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “Doing that with the help of tools we built at Statsig makes it even more special.”

Statsig will continue to operate independently and serve customers out of its Seattle office, OpenAI said. The acquisition is still subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

“Vijaye has a remarkable record of building new consumer and B2B products and systems at scale,” Simo said in a statement. 

OpenAI has been buying aggressively of late, putting some of the hefty cash pile it’s raised and the soaring value of its stock to use to fuel growth in new areas. Its biggest splash came in May, when OpenAI acquired Jony Ive’s AI devices startup IO for close to $6.5 billion in an all-equity deal that pushes the company firmly into hardware. Prior to that, OpenAI acquired analytics database company Rockset for an undisclosed sum in 2024.

Earlier this year, OpenAI had planned to buy AI-assisted coding tool Windsurf for $3 billion, but a deal never materialized, and Google ended up bringing on the startup’s co-founder as part of a $2.4 billion licensing deal.

“The journey with Statsig has been deeply gratifying, leading me to this moment and giving me conviction that we will continue helping teams ship better software every day,” Raji said in a statement.