Google closes $1.5B+ talent deal for AI agents startup Mechanize; co-founder joins DeepMind
ShakeelHashim · x · 2026-09-12
Per Business Insider, Google has completed a $1.5 billion-plus talent deal for AI agents startup Mechanize Inc (final terms undisclosed). Co-founder and ex-CEO Tamay Besiroglu is now a research scientist at DeepMind, and over a dozen former Mechanize staff joined him, mostly working on Google's 'midtraining' efforts; ex-chief of staff Guive Assadi now describes himself as Mechanize's CEO.
The report notes Google, struggling to ship a competitive model lately, has leaned on antitrust-friendly talent deals, as it did with Windsurf's team last year.
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