OpenAI buys Odessia, the travel startup founded by Sonder's CEO

What is known about the deal

OpenAI has not announced the acquisition or confirmed it to TechCrunch. The company has also not yet shared any new travel-related products or plans. Its clients or partners include Booking.com, Expedia and KAYAK, however.

Davidson described building Odessia by coordinating teams of AI agents. He said the service helped its first users plan trips worth millions of dollars in total. The tool has now shut down. The deal terms have not been published, so the acquisition may have been a team hire that included its founder.

Travel is one area in which people use personal AI assistants. In July 2025, when introducing ChatGPT agent, OpenAI named travel planning as one possible use case.

Davidson's experience in the travel business

Davidson was known in the travel industry before Odessia: in 2014, while still a student, he founded Sonder. The company was similar to Airbnb, but specialized in renting high-end apartments in major cities around the world.

The pandemic hit Sonder hard. The company later tried to recover and went public through a SPAC, but, as Davidson wrote, it raised less money than it needed. In June 2025, he announced that he was stepping down as CEO.

A key partnership with Marriott then fell through, and Sonder began bankruptcy proceedings before winding down its operations. In 2026, the bankruptcy administrator sold Sonder's name, trademarks and website domain to TravelAI. The site now serves as a guide to a curated selection of rental properties of the kind Sonder was known for.

Before its collapse, Davidson had grown the company to a $1 billion valuation; Sonder's revenue was $143 million. TechCrunch notes that, although the business ultimately did not succeed, Silicon Valley often values founders who have faced serious difficulties.

OpenAI has not yet responded to TechCrunch's request for comment.

In Dataist's view, the acquisition gives OpenAI a founder with experience in the travel business and in building an AI agent, but does not in itself confirm the launch of a new travel product. Odessia has already shut down, and the deal terms and the company's future plans have not been disclosed.