OpenAI announced it is acquiring Jony Ive's AI hardware startup io in a deal valued at up to $6.5 billion.
Ive, known for his work designing iconic Apple products like the iPhone and iPad, will take on significant creative and design leadership roles within both OpenAI and io.
The io team, consisting of about 55 engineers, scientists, and designers, will integrate into OpenAI to develop new AI hardware products.
Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, will remain independent but continue to collaborate with OpenAI.
The first products from this partnership are expected to be unveiled in 2026, according to Bloomberg.
“AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. “No one can do this like Jony and his team; the amount of care they put into every aspect of the process is extraordinary.”
Ive expressed excitement about the opportunity. “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment,” he said.