Acqui-hires appear to be a lasting trend. The team behind Alex Codes, a popular tool that enabled developers to use AI models within Apple’s development suite Xcode, is now joining OpenAI.
In a post on X, Alex Codes’ founder Daniel Edrisian announced the startup’s team is joining OpenAI’s Codex division. This division is responsible for building the company’s AI coding agent. The Y-Combinator-backed Alex Codes was founded in 2024 with the goal of integrating AI models into Xcode. However, Apple updated Xcode earlier this year to let users access ChatGPT and other AI models directly, eliminating the need for external tools. Edrisian did not state if this development was a reason for his team’s move to OpenAI.
Edrisian reflected on the startup’s journey, noting that when they began, Xcode had no AI. He said building a “Cursor for Xcode” sounded crazy, but they managed to do it and eventually built the best coding agent for iOS and MacOS apps.
In a blog post, the startup stated it would continue supporting existing users, though the app will no longer be available for download after October 1. The company confirmed it will not add new features but will maintain the product for as long as current users rely on it. Alex Codes’ Y-Combinator listing noted the startup had a team of three people. It is unclear if all employees are joining OpenAI.
OpenAI has a history of similar team acquisitions, hiring the employees behind a startup rather than purchasing the entire company. Just this week, OpenAI announced it is acquiring product testing startup Statsig for $1.1 billion.