Google to Pay $2.4 Billion in Deal to License Tech of Coding Startup, Hire CEO
UNITED STATES, JUL 12 – Google licenses AI coding tech from Windsurf and hires CEO Varun Mohan with other senior staff to enhance its Gemini project amid intense AI talent competition.
- On Friday, Google announced a deal to license technology from AI coding startup Windsurf and hire its CEO Varun Mohan along with other key team members.
- This agreement followed the expiration of a $3 billion acquisition offer from OpenAI, which had been negotiating with Windsurf since April but ultimately called off the deal.
- Windsurf, launched in 2021 by a group of MIT alumni and previously known as Codeium, has grown to a team of 250 focused on developing AI tools for programmers and plans to operate independently moving forward.
- A Google spokesperson expressed enthusiasm about bringing key AI developers from Windsurf into Google DeepMind to help progress their efforts in agentic coding.
- The deal represents a reverse-acquihire where Google gains talent and licenses technology nonexclusively, while Windsurf retains freedom to license elsewhere and continue developing its product.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Google to Pay $2.4 Billion in Deal to License Tech of Coding Startup, Hire CEO
Google has agreed to pay about $2.4 billion in a deal to license the technology of AI coding startup Windsurf and hire its CEO and some of its employees, according to people familiar with the matter.
OpenAI, Windsurf end acquisition talks over Microsoft IP concerns; CEO joins Google - Tech Startups
What started as a bold move by OpenAI to snap up one of the fastest-rising AI coding startups has ended with Google walking away with the prize. OpenAI has officially pulled the plug on its $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf—formerly […] The post OpenAI, Windsurf end acquisition talks over Microsoft IP concerns; CEO joins Google first appeared on Tech Startups.
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