Google Hires Windsurf Execs in $2.4 Billion Deal to Advance AI Coding Ambitions

FILE PHOTO: A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, US, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, US, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
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Google Hires Windsurf Execs in $2.4 Billion Deal to Advance AI Coding Ambitions

FILE PHOTO: A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, US, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, US, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Alphabet's Google has hired several key staff members from AI code generation startup Windsurf, the companies announced on Friday, in a surprise move following an attempt by its rival OpenAI to acquire the startup.

Google is paying $2.4 billion in license fees as part of the deal to use some of Windsurf's technology under non-exclusive terms, according to a person familiar with the arrangement. Google will not take a stake or any controlling interest in Windsurf, the person added.

Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and some members of the coding tool's research and development team will join Google's DeepMind AI division, Reuters reported.

The deal followed months of discussions Windsurf was having with OpenAI to sell itself in a deal that could value it at $3 billion, highlighting the interest in the code-generation space which has emerged as one of the fastest-growing AI applications, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in June.

OpenAI could not be immediately reached for a comment.

The former Windsurf team will focus on agentic coding initiatives at Google DeepMind, primarily working on the Gemini project.

"We're excited to welcome some top AI coding talent from Windsurf's team to Google DeepMind to advance our work in agentic coding," Google said in a statement.

The unusual deal structure marks a win for backers for Windsurf, which has raised $243 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Greenoaks and General Catalyst, and was last valued at $1.25 billion one year ago, according to PitchBook.

Windsurf investors will receive liquidity through the license fee and retain their stakes in the company, sources told Reuters.

'ACQUIHIRE' DEALS

Google's surprise swoop mirrors its deal in August 2024 to hire key employees from chatbot startup Character.AI.

Big Tech peers, including Microsoft, Amazon and Meta, have similarly taken to these so-called acquihire deals, which some have criticized as an attempt to evade regulatory scrutiny.

Microsoft struck a $650 million deal with Inflection AI in March 2024, to use the AI startup's models and hire its staff, while Amazon hired AI firm Adept's co-founders and some of its team last June.

Meta took a 49% stake in Scale AI in June in the biggest test yet of this increasing form of business partnerships.

Unlike acquisitions that would give the buyer a controlling stake, these deals do not require a review by US antitrust regulators. However, they could probe the deal if they believe it was structured to avoid those requirements or harm competition. Many of the deals have since become the subject of regulatory probes.

The development comes as tech giants, including Alphabet and Meta, aggressively chase high-profile acquisitions and offer multi-million-dollar pay packages to attract top talent in the race to lead the next wave of AI.

Windsurf's head of business, Jeff Wang, has been appointed its interim CEO, and Graham Moreno, vice president of global sales, will be president, effective immediately.

The majority of Windsurf's roughly 250 employees will remain with the company, which has announced plans to prioritize innovation for its enterprise clients.



KACST Manufactures 25 Advanced Electronic Chips by Saudi Talents

The chip design process involved researchers from the National Laboratory, alongside students from four Saudi universities. (SPA)
The chip design process involved researchers from the National Laboratory, alongside students from four Saudi universities. (SPA)
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KACST Manufactures 25 Advanced Electronic Chips by Saudi Talents

The chip design process involved researchers from the National Laboratory, alongside students from four Saudi universities. (SPA)
The chip design process involved researchers from the National Laboratory, alongside students from four Saudi universities. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced on Thursday its successful design and fabrication of 25 advanced electronic chips, developed by Saudi talents in its cleanroom laboratories for purposes of training, research, and development.

The achievement is part of KACST’s ongoing efforts to support and enable the semiconductor ecosystem in the Kingdom.

These chips are distinguished by their versatility and can be used in a range of applications, including electronics, wireless and high-frequency communications, integrated circuits, energy-efficient lighting, micro-sensor systems, as well as industrial and research applications in measurement and testing.

The chip design process involved researchers from the National Laboratory, alongside students from four Saudi universities. This effort was conducted under the initiatives of the Saudi Semiconductors Program (SSP), which aims to build national expertise in this critical field.

The chips can be used in a range of applications. (SPA)

This milestone is part of a series of strategic initiatives led by KACST to support the semiconductor sector in the Kingdom, including the Saudi Semiconductors Program to boost research and development and qualify human talent and the "Ignition" semiconductor incubator program to support startups and entrepreneurs.

Through these initiatives, KACST underscored its commitment to the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by localizing strategic technologies, empowering national talent, and achieving technological self-sufficiency in advanced domains.