Jony Ive, the visionary former design chief of Apple, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have officially unveiled their new venture: a hardware company named io, which is set to reimagine the intersection of artificial intelligence and physical design. The move marks a significant evolution in a partnership that began quietly two years ago between Ive’s design firm LoveFrom and OpenAI. What started as a discreet collaboration has now culminated in a formal merger, signaling bold ambitions for the future of AI-driven devices.
According to Bloomberg, OpenAI will acquire Ive’s startup in a landmark all-stock deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion, making it the company’s largest acquisition to date. With this, OpenAI secures not only cutting-edge design capabilities but also a dedicated hardware arm focused on integrating AI into everyday physical products. The merger underscores OpenAI’s long-term strategy to move beyond software and large language models, bringing its technology closer to consumers through beautifully crafted, intelligent devices.
Leading the new company alongside Ive are seasoned industry veterans including Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan—individuals with deep roots in design and engineering, many of whom previously worked together on some of Apple’s most iconic products. The io team is composed of a diverse group of engineers, technologists, physicists, and product development experts, united by a shared mission to make artificial intelligence more tangible and human-centric.
While specific product details remain under wraps, the formation of io signals a future in which AI hardware is not just smart, but also intuitive, aesthetic, and deeply integrated into daily life. Drawing from Ive’s celebrated design philosophy and OpenAI’s cutting-edge capabilities, the partnership aspires to break new ground at the intersection of form and intelligence.
As AI continues to expand its role in everything from communication to creativity, io is positioning itself to lead the next chapter: where the intelligence behind the screen is matched by the elegance of the device you hold. It’s a convergence of art, science, and engineering—driven by some of the most influential minds in design and AI.
