OpenAI Plans to Acquire Python Tool Startup Astral to Strengthen Codex Developer Service Platform

OpenAI plans to acquire Astral, a Python tool startup, integrating its team into the Codex project. Codex currently has over 2 million users, with user numbers tripling this year—it helps developers write functions, fix bugs, and run tests.

Astral's tool suite will push Codex to become a broader developer service platform. Astral founder Charlie Marsh said the team will continue to develop open-source tools within OpenAI.

OpenAI is competing with Anthropic, Microsoft, and Cursor to attract enterprise clients. This is one of OpenAI's recent acquisitions; it also bought AI security startup Promptfoo this month.