OpenAI Acquires Multi to Boost Enterprise Collaboration Tools

OpenAI Acquires Multi to Boost Enterprise Collaboration Tools

OpenAI's enterprise purchases seem to be paying off, with revenue expected to surpass $3.4 billion this year, according to The Information. The company has been heavily investing in enterprise solutions, recently acquiring database tech firm Rockset and now Multi (formerly Remotion), a startup focused on a video-first collaboration platform for enterprises. This deal, described as an acqui-hire, will bring most of Multi’s team, around five people, to OpenAI.

In May, OpenAI signed an agreement with PwC to resell its tools to other businesses. The month before, the company launched a custom AI model tuning and consulting program for business users. These moves align with OpenAI’s strategy, evidenced by the corporate tier of its AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, which has nearly 600,000 users, including 93% of Fortune 500 companies.

Multi’s CEO and co-founder, Alexander Embiricos, announced that Multi will shut down after July 24. He expressed excitement about joining OpenAI in a blog post, thanking users and highlighting the team's learning experience. Multi, founded by Embiricos, a former Dropbox product manager, and Charley Ho, an ex-Google software engineer, was designed to facilitate remote team collaboration through video chats, offering features like screen sharing for up to 10 people, customizable shortcuts, and automatic deep links for various content.

Crunchbase data shows that Multi raised $13 million from VCs including Greylock and First Round Capital before its acquisition. With these enterprise-focused acquisitions, OpenAI may enhance ChatGPT with videoconferencing and remote collaboration capabilities, fitting into its broader strategy of developing advanced enterprise solutions.