OpenAI Buys Jony Ive’s AI Hardware Startup in $6.5 Billion Deal

Looking for the latest on OpenAI’s newest acquisition? In a groundbreaking move that’s shaking up Silicon Valley, OpenAI is acquiring io, an AI hardware company founded by legendary Apple designer Jony Ive. The deal, reportedly valued at nearly $6.5 billion, marks a major leap forward in the convergence of artificial intelligence and next-gen hardware design. Tech enthusiasts, investors, and developers alike are buzzing with questions: What does this mean for OpenAI’s product roadmap? How will this affect the AI hardware landscape? Here's everything you need to know.

Announced jointly by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Jony Ive, the acquisition is more than just a merger—it’s a strategic alignment of visionaries. “We gathered together the best hardware and software engineers, technologists, physicists, scientists, and product developers,” the duo said in a statement. Many of these minds have decades of experience building iconic technology, and now, they’re joining forces under the OpenAI umbrella to push the boundaries of human-AI interaction.

The startup io was formed with the ambitious goal of creating hardware that’s not only smart but also intuitive, beautiful, and empowering—echoing the design philosophy that defined Ive’s career at Apple. This acquisition signals that OpenAI isn’t just focused on AI software like ChatGPT or GPT-5—it’s preparing to enter the AI-powered hardware space with devices that could rival or redefine the current market.

The $6.5 billion valuation, as reported by Bloomberg, reflects the immense value placed on innovation at the intersection of AI development, hardware design, and user experience. It also underscores OpenAI’s continued evolution from a research-focused lab into a commercial powerhouse, potentially competing with companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon in the AI device market.

AI chips, enterprise cloud services, and high-performance computing.

As this story develops, we can expect more details to emerge about the types of products OpenAI plans to build with Ive’s team. Will we see an AI-first smartphone, a redesigned smart speaker, or something entirely new? One thing is clear: the partnership blends design excellence with AI leadership, setting the stage for a wave of cutting-edge, human-centric AI products.

Stay tuned for updates as OpenAI and io begin this next chapter in building the future of intelligent hardware.