Google Triumphs in $2.4B AI Talent Acquisition, Welcomes Windsurf Team
Google has successfully recruited key executives from AI coding startup Windsurf in a $2.4 billion deal, thwarting OpenAI’s $3 billion acquisition attempt. Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan and co-founder Douglas Chen, along with other top researchers, will now be part of Google DeepMind’s team.
Their expertise will be instrumental in advancing the company’s “agentic coding” initiatives and expanding its Gemini AI platform to software developers. The deal, however, is a licensing agreement rather than a full acquisition. This arrangement allows Google to access Windsurf’s technology under non-exclusive terms, while the startup retains its independence.
OpenAI had been in exclusive talks to acquire Windsurf since May 2025. However, the exclusivity period expired, paving the way for Google’s competing offer. This development further fuels the AI talent wars, with tech giants increasingly resorting to reverse-acquihire strategies to attract top talent while sidestepping regulatory scrutiny.
Windsurf has gained significant popularity this year for its “vibe coding” tools. These innovative tools leverage AI to assist developers in writing code more efficiently.