The hiring of executives, surprise acquisitions, and multi-billion-dollar deals mark a new era: artificial intelligence is entering its “corporate talent theft” phase.
What used to be settled behind closed doors and through softly worded press releases now resembles an open conflict. The AI sector is undergoing a radical transformation, and it’s not just about technological breakthroughs—the real battle is for talent. And there are no clear rules.
The latest chapter in this quiet but fierce war was led by Cognition, the U.S.-based startup behind the coding agent Devin, which announced the acquisition of Windsurf just days after Google hired Windsurf’s CEO and part of its management team in a deal valued at $2.4 billion in licenses and compensation.
This confirms that AI is not only changing how software is programmed but also how tech companies are reshaped—through aggressive hiring and strategic acquisitions.
The new rule: recruit first, buy later
Google’s move to bring on Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO of Windsurf) and several key executives put the young company in a difficult position. A few days later, Cognition completed its purchase of the remaining shares of Windsurf: its product, its brand, its user base… and most importantly, its technical team.
Cognition hasn’t disclosed the financial terms, but it has stated that 100% of Windsurf’s employees will participate financially in the deal and retain all vesting and seniority rights. The startup also plans to integrate Windsurf’s development environment into its ecosystem, expanding Devin’s capabilities and its corporate client base, which already exceeds 350 companies and generates $82 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).
Talent theft in the AI era: new strategy or warning sign?
What’s happening is starting to be recognized among investors and industry leaders as “corporate talent raiding,” or the strategic poaching of entire startup teams by tech giants like Google, Meta, or Amazon. AI is now their new battleground.
The pattern repeats: first, targeting the most visible profiles; then making an offer that’s hard to refuse—often with huge signing bonuses—and once the company is destabilized, launching offers to the rest of the team or directly acquiring what remains.
“It’s no accident. It’s a strategy,” explained an anonymous Silicon Valley investor to local media. “Big tech companies are willing to pay huge sums to hire or dismantle emerging startups that are innovating the fastest. They’re buying talent the same way patents used to be bought.”
What is Windsurf, and why has it been so coveted?
Windsurf is a startup specializing in AI-powered development environments (IDEs), which integrated developer assistance tools similar to GitHub Copilot or Cody, but with greater autonomy and adaptation to complex business tasks.
Backed by Founders Fund (like Cognition), the company had attracted interest from giants like OpenAI, with negotiations for a $3 billion acquisition that ultimately fell through before Google intervened.
Its flagship product, the Windsurf IDE, included direct access to advanced models like Claude and boasted a daily user base of hundreds of thousands. However, its true value wasn’t just in software; it was in its team—engineers, product designers, and growth managers who demonstrated speed, traction, and vision.
And now what?
Scott Wu, Cognition’s CEO, made it clear in an internal message: “After today, we will be one team. There’s only one ship, and we’re all on it.” His vision is to keep developing Devin as the most advanced AI autonomous agent for software engineering on the market. Now, with Windsurf integrated, they have a proprietary development platform and a go-to-market (GTM) structure that doubles revenue each quarter.
For the industry, however, this acquisition signifies a turning point. AI is no longer just revolutionizing software creation but also how tech companies are built. The market moves so fast that strategic decisions are made within days, teams are disbanded and reassembled in weeks, and deals reach dizzying figures.
Conclusion: AI is entering its consolidation phase… through absorption
The Windsurf case could repeat itself many more times this year. In a landscape where knowledge and execution are more valuable than technology itself, teams become the most contested asset.
AI continues to advance. But it’s no longer simply about which model is most powerful. The current race is: who recruits the brightest talent before the others?
And in that war, there’s no truce—only speed.