OpenAI is set to acquire Astral, a startup behind popular coding tools, as it strengthens its AI software development platform amid rivalry with Anthropic.
OpenAI has announced plans to acquire Astral, a startup that makes tools to help developers write and improve software. The company is best known for Ruff, a tool that quickly checks code for errors and cleans it up.
The deal, revealed earlier today, shows OpenAI is expanding further into tools for people who build apps and software as competition intensifies.
How Astral built a fast-growing developer toolkit
Astral was founded in 2023 by Charlie Marsh to create faster and more efficient tools for software developers. Marsh studied computer science at Princeton and previously worked as an engineer at Khan Academy.
Before Astral, Marsh created Ruff, which has since become widely used in major software projects and tech companies.
In just three years, Astral has built a small set of tools that help developers manage projects and code. The startup has raised about $4 million in early funding, led by Accel, with investor Guillermo Rauch also participating.
What the deal means for OpenAI’s coding ambitions
The deal has not officially closed yet. Once completed, Astral’s team is expected to join OpenAI’s Codex project — an AI tool that helps developers write code, fix bugs, and run tests.
Astral’s tools are expected to improve Codex by making it faster and better at analyzing and editing code. OpenAI’s plan to acquire Astral also underscores its broader strategy to build more powerful AI-driven coding tools as competition intensifies.
Companies, including rival Anthropic, are also investing heavily in tools that help developers write software with AI. It’s a race that has since turned coding into a key battleground.
At the same time, the move has raised familiar concerns among developers. Because Astral’s tools are open source, users will be watching closely to see whether access, licensing, or long-term development plans change under OpenAI’s ownership.
