At a Glance
- OpenAI has hired the entire Convogo founding team in an all-stock acqui-hire
- The startup’s leadership-assessment platform will shut down as the trio joins OpenAI’s “AI cloud efforts”
- This marks OpenAI’s ninth acquisition in twelve months, with most prior products either folded or retired
- Why it matters: The move shows OpenAI leaning on M&A to speed up talent and capability building amid fierce AI competition
OpenAI has absorbed the three co-founders behind Convogo, a business software platform that automated reporting for executive coaches and HR teams, in its latest talent-driven acquisition.
What’s Changing
OpenAI is not buying Convogo’s IP or technology, a spokesperson confirmed. Instead, Matt Cooper, Evan Cater, and Mike Gillett will work on internal “AI cloud efforts” while the startup’s product is wound down.
The deal structure is all-stock, according to a source familiar with the matter.
From Weekend Hack to Acquisition
Convogo began as a weekend hackathon sparked by Cooper’s mother, an executive coach, who asked whether AI could handle report writing so she could focus on human coaching.
In the past two years the platform:
- Supported thousands of coaches
- Partnered with top leadership-development firms
- Aimed to bridge the gap between new model capabilities and real-world outcomes
In their farewell email, the founders wrote:
> “We’re convinced now more than ever that the key to bridging that gap lies in thoughtful, purpose-built experiences, like what we’ve built for coaches at Convogo. That’s why we’re thrilled to join OpenAI to continue our work of making AI accessible and useful to professionals in every industry.”
OpenAI’s Acquisition Pattern
| Deal Outcome | Examples |
|---|---|
| Product folded in | Sky (AI Mac interface), Statsig |
| Product shut down | Roi, Context.ai, Crossing Minds |
| Independent roadmap | io Products (Jonny Ive) |
PitchBook data lists nine OpenAI acquisitions in roughly a year, with Convogo the latest indication that M&A is a core accelerator for talent and tech.
Key Takeaways
- Convogo’s three co-founders join OpenAI immediately
- Their leadership-assessment tool will cease to exist
- The deal continues OpenAI’s practice of acqui-hiring specialist teams
- Only the Ive-designed hardware venture remains operationally separate
The transaction underscores how OpenAI and its rivals are racing to secure expertise through targeted, team-based deals rather than large-scale buyouts.
