OpenAI acquired German startup Ona to better handle growing demand for its coding tool, Codex.
The vendor — based in the German city of Kiel and formerly known as Gitpod — has developed a platform that enables agents to perform tasks over a lengthy period of time in a cloud environment, rather than being restricted to operating only when their developer’s workstation is on, as is often the case.
The need for agents that are constantly working has arisen from the growth of Codex, which OpenAI says is now being used by more than five million people every week.
In a statement, OpenAI said: “We believe people should be able to delegate more ambitious work without remaining tied to the machine where it began. The work should continue beyond the initial session, with Codex making it possible to stay connected and check progress, provide direction, make decisions, and review results from anywhere.”
Ona’s technology will enable this, letting more organizations to deploy agents, according to OpenAI.
Among other benefits claimed by Ona’s platform are quicker task execution due to greater access to cloud resources and improved security.
OpenAI did not disclose financial details of the acquisition, which is subject to relevant regulatory approvals. The companies will continue to work as separate entities until completion, upon which the Ona team — which according to its profile on LinkedIn numbers around 80 — will join OpenAI and work on Codex.
The arrival of Ona marks OpenAI’s second significant acquisition in a matter of months following its March deal for Promptfoo, an AI security platform for enterprises, as it gears up for a long-awaited IPO.
