The company behind ChatGPT has agreed to acquire an Edinburgh AI and consulting and engineering firm.
OpenAI, the company behind the widely recognised AI, has revealed its acquisition of Tomoro, an Edinburgh and London-based AI consulting and engineering firm.
OpenAI has also announced a significant strategic expansion into enterprise artificial intelligence deployment with the launch of the OpenAI Deployment Company (DeployCo). This initiative is designed to assist organisations in constructing and implementing AI systems for daily operations across their most critical workflows.
The acquisition of Tomoro is a foundational move for DeployCo, bringing approximately 150 experienced forward-deployed engineers and deployment specialists into the new entity. Tomoro, established in 2023, has built a reputation for delivering mission-critical AI workflows for prominent clients such as Tesco, Virgin Atlantic, and Supercell. Their expertise is expected to enhance OpenAI’s capacity to guide customers swiftly from initial use case selection to full production deployment.
These engineers will be crucial in integrating OpenAI models with customer data, tools, controls, and core business processes, thereby accelerating DeployCo’s ability to embed AI systems into day-to-day operations. The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals, and is anticipated to conclude in the coming months.
The OpenAI Deployment Company is structured as a partnership involving OpenAI and 19 leading global investment firms, consultancies, and system integrators. This consortium is spearheaded by TPG, with Advent, Bain Capital, and Brookfield serving as co-lead founding partners. Further founding partners include B Capital, BBVA, Emergence Capital, Goanna, Goldman Sachs, SoftBank Corp., Warburg Pincus, and WCAS. Esteemed consulting and systems integration firms such as Bain & Company, Capgemini, and McKinsey & Company are also among the investors.
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OpenAI maintains majority ownership and control of DeployCo, aiming to offer customers a consistent experience whether they engage directly with OpenAI, the OpenAI Deployment Company, or both. The new venture launches with an initial investment exceeding £4 billion, capital earmarked for scaling operations and acquiring additional firms that can further its mission.
Denise Dresser, Chief Revenue Officer at OpenAI, commented on the strategic move: “AI is becoming capable of doing increasingly meaningful work inside organisations. The challenge now is helping companies integrate these systems into the infrastructure and workflows that power their businesses. DeployCo is designed to help organisations bridge that gap and turn AI capability into real operational impact.”
