OpenAI was already getting ready to pop the champagne. The famous startup behind ChatGPT was in the process of finalizing the acquisition of Windsurf, one of the very first development environments to integrate an AI agent capable of acting directly on code, an "agent-based IDE," as they are beginning to be called.
But according to The Verge, the $3 billion deal has been canceled, and Alphabet has come in to spoil the party by recruiting heavily from Windsurf's ranks.
Among those poached are Varun Mohan, CEO of the startup, its co-founder Douglas Chen, and several members of the R&D team, who are joining Google's teams to work on Gemini, the group's major AI project.
In this move, Alphabet is not taking any control or direct stake in Windsurf, but is obtaining a non-exclusive license for some of its technologies. It's a clever deal, without the hassle of a takeover but with the technological benefits.
At Windsurf, the reorganization is already underway. Marketing Director Jeff Wang will serve as interim CEO, while Graham Moreno, Vice President of Global Sales, will become President of the company.
