OpenAI is in talks to buy Windsurf, an AI-powered coding tool, for about $3 billion, according to Bloomberg, which cited a person familiar with the matter. If the deal goes through, it would be OpenAI’s biggest purchase so far. However, the report also said that the deal isn’t final yet and could still change or fall apart.
OpenAI didn’t comment on the news, and Windsurf — which used to be called Codeium — didn’t respond to Reuters’ request for a statement. In 2024, Windsurf had raised $150 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, which gave the company a value of $1.25 billion.
Interest in AI has grown a lot in recent years, especially with the rise of chatbots and powerful AI tools. In March, OpenAI said it plans to raise up to $40 billion in new funding, which would bring its value to $300 billion.
Back in 2023, OpenAI bought a company called Global Illumination, which used AI to build creative tools. But it didn’t say how much it paid for the deal.
Windsurf is one of the several tools, along with Cursor and Replit, that many developers have started using recently to “vibe code.” This phrase means using AI to quickly write code for new software, a CNBC report said. Earlier this month, Microsoft introduced a similar feature called Agent Mode in its popular coding tool, Visual Studio Code.
