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19m ago

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

The acquisition marks OpenAI’s largest to date, integrating io’s team to develop AI-native devices for a 2026 debut, pending regulatory approval.

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Jony Ive (left) and Sam Altman are teaming up
Jony Ive speak onstage during Vox Media's 2022 Code Conference. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)
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Overview

  • OpenAI has confirmed its acquisition of Jony Ive’s AI hardware startup io in a $6.5 billion all-equity deal, including its prior 23% stake in the company.
  • The io team, comprising 55 engineers and former Apple executives, will merge with OpenAI’s San Francisco operations to advance AI hardware development.
  • Jony Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, will remain independent but will take on creative and design leadership across OpenAI and io’s projects.
  • The acquisition reflects OpenAI’s strategic pivot into consumer hardware, with the first AI-native devices expected to launch in 2026.
  • The deal awaits regulatory approval, with completion anticipated in summer 2025, as OpenAI seeks to redefine human interaction with AI technology.