OpenAI Acquires Cloud Infrastructure Startup Ona for Codex

OpenAI expands Codex with cloud infrastructure acquisition

OpenAI has agreed to acquire Ona, a startup that provides AI agents with secure, pre-configured cloud environments equipped with the tools and systems needed to complete extended work tasks, the companies announced. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ona's technology will enable Codex, OpenAI's AI coding assistant, to handle more complex, multi-step assignments and give enterprises a clearer path to deploying AI agents in production environments. Upon closing, Ona's team will join OpenAI and integrate with the Codex division.

"I always thought selling the company would feel like an ending. Instead, it feels like our life's work just got bigger and more important," Ona CEO Johannes Landgraf wrote on LinkedIn.

Codex user base surges as OpenAI pushes beyond developers

Codex now serves more than 5 million weekly active users, up from 3 million in April, according to OpenAI. The growth reflects OpenAI's strategic push to expand Codex beyond its original developer audience.

The company has added plugins targeting sales professionals, investment bankers, and equity investors. Knowledge workers now represent roughly one in five Codex users and are growing at more than triple the rate of the core developer segment. Overall, Codex's weekly active user base has grown more than sixfold since OpenAI launched its desktop application in February.

Why it matters

The Ona acquisition signals OpenAI's intent to position Codex as enterprise infrastructure rather than just a developer tool. By providing persistent cloud environments where AI agents can access systems and maintain context across sessions, OpenAI is addressing a key barrier to deploying autonomous agents in business settings. This infrastructure play comes as competition intensifies with Anthropic, whose Claude Code assistant has driven strong growth, according to CNBC. Both companies have filed confidential prospectuses with the Securities and Exchange Commission as they consider public offerings, Bloomberg reported.

Part of broader acquisition strategy

The Ona deal continues OpenAI's active acquisition pace in recent months. In March, the company announced it would acquire cybersecurity startup Promptfoo. Earlier, OpenAI purchased health-care technology company Torch for approximately $60 million in January and acquired Software Applications, whose Sky product provided an AI interface for Mac users. The most significant transaction came in May 2025, when OpenAI acquired Jony Ive's device-focused startup io in a deal valued at over $6 billion.

These details were first reported by AI Watch.