OpenAI Acqui-Hires Convogo Team to Boost AI Cloud Efforts

OpenAI has started the year with another strategic acqui-hire, bringing in the team behind Convogo, an AI-powered platform designed to support executive coaches, consultants, and HR teams. The deal focuses on talent rather than technology, as OpenAI confirmed it is not acquiring Convogo’s intellectual property or software, but instead hiring the people who built it.

Convogo’s three co-founders, Matt Cooper, Evan Cater, and Mike Gillett, will join OpenAI as part of what sources described as an all-stock transaction. Following the agreement, Convogo’s product will be shut down. An OpenAI spokesperson said the incoming team will contribute to the company’s AI cloud initiatives, though further details were not disclosed.

The startup began as a small experiment inspired by a personal question. Cooper’s mother, an executive coach, wondered whether AI could handle the time-consuming work of writing assessment reports, allowing coaches to focus more on direct human interaction. That idea grew into Convogo, which over the past two years has supported thousands of coaches and worked with leading leadership development firms, according to the company.

In a message shared with users announcing the acquisition, the founders reflected on what they learned while building the product. They said the biggest challenge was not model capability, but turning rapid advances in AI into practical tools that deliver real-world value. The team expressed confidence that carefully designed, purpose-built experiences are essential for making AI genuinely useful for professionals.

They added that joining OpenAI would allow them to continue this mission on a much larger scale, helping bring accessible and effective AI solutions to a wider range of industries.

The Convogo acqui-hire is OpenAI’s ninth acquisition in roughly a year, based on industry data. In most previous deals, OpenAI either integrated the acquired product into its broader ecosystem or shut it down entirely as the team transitioned into the company. Past examples include products that were absorbed into OpenAI’s offerings, as well as startups whose services were discontinued after the acquisition.

The deal highlights OpenAI’s broader approach to growth, using mergers and acquisitions primarily to accelerate talent and capability development. One notable exception remains its partnership with a hardware-focused venture linked to designer Jonny Ive, which continues to develop its own product roadmap while collaborating with OpenAI.