TLDRs;
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- OpenAI will acquire product testing startup Statsig for $1.1B to enhance its experimentation and feature flagging infrastructure.
- Statsig CEO Vijaye Raji will become OpenAI’s CTO for Applications, leading engineering for ChatGPT and Codex.
- The $1.1B deal is nearly 11x Statsig’s last funding round, reflecting AI firms’ willingness to pay for infrastructure.
- OpenAI’s revenue run rate hit $12B in early 2025 as it seeks a $500B valuation in employee share sales.
OpenAI is set to acquire Statsig, a Seattle-based product testing startup, in a deal worth $1.1 billion. The all-stock acquisition reflects the growing importance of experimentation infrastructure in artificial intelligence, where companies increasingly depend on A/B testing and feature flagging to refine products serving millions of users.
Statsig specializes in tools that allow developers to run controlled experiments, monitor performance, and roll out new features with precision.
Once the transaction closes, the startup’s employees will join OpenAI while maintaining independent operations from their Seattle office.
Leadership changes to steer applications
As part of the acquisition, Statsig’s CEO Vijaye Raji will step into a key leadership role at OpenAI, becoming the Chief Technology Officer for Applications.
In this position, Raji will oversee engineering teams working on flagship products like ChatGPT and Codex.
Today, we have an exciting announcement: Statsig is being acquired by OpenAI.
Our mission at Statsig is to help product teams build smarter and faster. Now, we’re incredibly excited to continue to build on this vision as a part of OpenAI.
Once the acquisition is finalized,… pic.twitter.com/eePobud6S2
— Statsig (@statsig) September 2, 2025
The leadership transition underscores the strategic importance of product experimentation in OpenAI’s roadmap. With Raji’s expertise, the company aims to better manage the complexity of rapidly evolving AI systems while ensuring smooth user experiences across global markets.
Premium paid for critical infrastructure
This deal highlights a broader trend where AI giants are willing to pay premium multiples for specialized infrastructure that accelerates product cycles. Statsig raised $100 million earlier this year, making the $1.1 billion acquisition price nearly 11 times its last funding round, an unusually steep premium in the current tech climate.
Analysts suggest the move reflects how central testing infrastructure has become. For AI companies like OpenAI, the ability to deploy and evaluate features at scale is no longer a nice-to-have but a core necessity.
By acquiring Statsig rather than building similar capabilities in-house, OpenAI saves years of potential development while gaining proven tools already trusted by major companies such as Atlassian, Notion, and Bloomberg.
Expanding growth and valuation ambitions
The acquisition follows a string of moves by OpenAI to expand its capabilities. Earlier in 2025, the company acquired io Products, a design startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. OpenAI’s momentum is further reflected in its financial performance. Reuters reported an annualized revenue run rate of $12 billion in the first seven months of 2025, roughly double its revenue from the previous year.
In addition, the company is preparing a tender offer that would allow employees to sell shares, valuing OpenAI at an extraordinary $500 billion. With Microsoft’s continued backing and a rapidly growing product ecosystem, the acquisition of Statsig positions OpenAI to maintain its lead in an increasingly competitive AI market.
