OpenAI buys Ona to expand Codex for longer AI coding tasks

OpenAI is acquiring Ona, a startup that builds secure, pre-configured cloud environments for AI agents, in a deal aimed at strengthening its Codex coding assistant. The company did not disclose terms, and the transaction still faces customary closing conditions. Once completed, Ona employees will join OpenAI's Codex team. OpenAI said Ona's technology will let Codex handle longer-running tasks and help more organizations put AI agents into production. The move adds to a recent run of OpenAI acquisitions as it competes with Anthropic in AI coding tools. Codex has more than 5 million weekly active users, up from 3 million in April, CNBC reported.