On September 2, 2025, OpenAI announced the acquisition of Statsig in a deal worth about $1.1 billion. The move strengthens OpenAI’s shift from research-driven projects to practical, real-world applications. The acquisition highlights OpenAI’s growing ambition to expand beyond language models and become a company that delivers widely adopted AI products.
Why OpenAI Bought Statsig
Statsig built its reputation by offering advanced A/B testing tools, feature flagging systems, and real-time experimentation platforms. These tools help companies test new product features with live data and then measure how those features perform with users.
OpenAI already relied on Statsig’s platform for its own experiments. By acquiring the company, OpenAI gains full control over a system that allows its engineers to launch new features quickly, measure user reactions in real time, and fix problems faster.
This deal makes sense because OpenAI must now compete at the highest level with companies like Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic. Speed of innovation matters, and Statsig’s tools give OpenAI the ability to test, iterate, and launch at a much faster pace.
The Leadership Shake-Up
The acquisition goes beyond technology. It also reshapes leadership inside OpenAI. Vijaye Raji, the founder and CEO of Statsig, will now serve as CTO of Applications at OpenAI. He will lead engineering for products like ChatGPT, Codex, and other future applications. His role includes managing infrastructure, ensuring reliability, and scaling systems for millions of users.
Raji brings strong experience. Before founding Statsig, he spent over a decade at Meta, where he led engineering teams that handled billions of user interactions every day. At OpenAI, he will report directly to Fidji Simo, who recently took over as CEO of Applications. Together, they form the core leadership team responsible for turning OpenAI’s research breakthroughs into products that people and businesses use daily.
OpenAI also restructured other key positions:
- Srinivas Narayanan moved into the role of CTO of B2B Applications, where he will focus on enterprise and government solutions.
- Kevin Weil, the former Chief Product Officer, transitioned into research as Vice President of AI for Science, leading a new group that explores AI’s role in scientific discovery.
This leadership reshuffle shows that OpenAI takes its applications business very seriously. The company now has experienced leaders focused not only on consumers but also on enterprises and research-driven innovation.
Statsig Will Stay Independent
Even though OpenAI acquired Statsig, the startup will continue to operate independently from its Seattle office. Its team will keep serving existing customers without disruption. OpenAI will slowly integrate Statsig’s technology into its broader product portfolio, but it will not dismantle the startup’s operations.
By keeping Statsig independent, OpenAI protects the culture and agility of the smaller company. This strategy allows Statsig to keep moving fast while also benefiting from OpenAI’s scale, resources, and brand power.
Why the Deal Matters
This acquisition signals a major shift in how OpenAI positions itself. For years, the company focused mainly on research, releasing models like GPT-3, GPT-4, and GPT-5. Now OpenAI emphasizes the quality, reliability, and speed of its applications.
By adding Statsig’s technology, OpenAI gains:
- Rapid experimentation tools that help engineers learn what works and what doesn’t in real time.
- Feature flagging systems that let teams roll out updates to small groups before wider release.
- Data-driven insights that improve decision-making across product teams.
These capabilities matter because OpenAI must support products like ChatGPT, which serve hundreds of millions of users. A single update affects millions instantly. Statsig’s tools allow OpenAI to reduce risk while still innovating quickly.
OpenAI’s Growth Strategy
OpenAI continues to grow aggressively. In early 2025, it raised a massive funding round that valued the company at around $300 billion. With that kind of capital, OpenAI has the flexibility to acquire companies that strengthen its ecosystem.
Statsig is not the first big acquisition. Earlier this year, OpenAI bought io Products, a hardware startup founded by Jony Ive, for around $6.5 billion. That deal aimed to boost OpenAI’s push into hardware and device integration. With Statsig, the focus shifts back to software and experimentation.
This dual strategy—expanding into hardware and strengthening software tools—shows how OpenAI prepares to compete as a full-stack AI company. It wants to own the research, the platform, and the end-user applications.
Vijaye Raji’s Journey
The appointment of Vijaye Raji as CTO of Applications also stands out. Raji, who has Indian roots, built Statsig from the ground up after leaving Meta. His journey from leading engineering at one of the largest social platforms to founding a successful startup and now joining OpenAI highlights how talent moves across the tech ecosystem.
Raji built Statsig to solve a problem he faced at Meta—how to test new features at scale quickly and safely. His platform became popular with many companies, especially fast-scaling startups and large enterprises that needed reliable testing tools. Now, he brings that expertise to OpenAI, where the stakes are even higher.
The Bigger Picture
This acquisition shows the growing importance of AI product reliability. Users expect ChatGPT and other OpenAI products to not only sound intelligent but also perform consistently. Statsig gives OpenAI the systems to test those products with scientific precision.
Competitors like Google and Microsoft already use similar testing platforms internally. By buying Statsig, OpenAI closes the gap and strengthens its ability to operate at the same level.
The deal also highlights how OpenAI balances innovation with responsibility. The company wants to move fast but also avoid mistakes that could damage trust. With Statsig, OpenAI gains the discipline of continuous testing and real-time feedback loops.
What Happens Next
The acquisition will go through regulatory approval. Once completed, OpenAI will own Statsig’s technology, talent, and client base. Statsig employees will join OpenAI but continue working from Seattle.
In the short term, Statsig will keep running as an independent product. Over time, OpenAI will integrate its capabilities directly into apps like ChatGPT and Codex. That integration will make OpenAI’s applications more reliable, scalable, and data-driven.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Statsig marks a turning point. The deal brings advanced testing tools, proven leadership, and a strong engineering culture into OpenAI. By naming Vijaye Raji as CTO of Applications, OpenAI strengthens its ability to deliver trustworthy, high-quality products to millions of users.
This acquisition is not only about technology—it also reflects OpenAI’s transformation. The company no longer positions itself as just a research lab. It now acts like a global product company with the tools, talent, and strategy to compete with the biggest players in the world.
With Statsig on board, OpenAI gains speed, reliability, and leadership. As a result, the company stands ready to push artificial intelligence into the next era—where AI not only dazzles with intelligence but also delivers value with consistency.
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