Less than a week following its acquisition of enterprise data startup Rockset, OpenAI has reportedly added another tech startup to its portfolio: Multi. This news was first reported on Hacker News, with no major news outlets confirming the acquisition, except for an announcement from Multi itself.
In a prominent announcement on its homepage, Multi said, “Multi is joining OpenAI and will shut down on July 24, 2024.”
The company also noted that new team signups have been closed, and active teams will continue to have access until the shutdown date. After July 24, 2024, all user data will be deleted. Users needing assistance or more time to transition to another platform are encouraged to contact alexander@multi.app.
Founded in 2019 by Alexander Embiricos and Charley Ho, initially as Remotion, Multi is a video calling platform tailored for remote team collaboration. The platform enables live video chats, facilitating real-time communication and rapport-building, simulating a natural, in-person working environment.
According to PitchBook, Multi has raised $13 million over two funding rounds, with the latest Series A round closing on October 6, 2020. The startup has attracted investment from six backers, including prominent investors Musha Ventures and Greylock.
Here is the complete message from the Multi:
“What if desktop computers were inherently multiplayer? What if the operating system placed people on equal footing to apps? Those were the questions we explored in building Multi, and before that, Remotion.
Recently, we’ve been increasingly asking ourselves how we should work with computers. Not on or using computers, but truly with computers. With AI. We believe it’s one of the most important product questions of our time.
And so, we’re beyond excited to share that Multi is joining OpenAI!
Unfortunately, this means we’re sunsetting Multi. We’ve closed new team signups, and currently active teams will be able to use the app until July 24, 2024, after which we’ll delete all user data. If you need help or more time finding a replacement, email alexander@multi.app. We’re happy to suggest alternatives depending on what exactly you loved about Multi, and we can also grant extensions on a case by case basis.
Thank you to everybody who used Multi. It was a privilege building with you, and we learnt a ton from you. We’ll miss your feedback and bug reports, but we can’t wait to show you what we’re up to next.
See you around,
The Multi Team”
Stay tuned to TechStartup for more updates on this developing story.
