“Io has a staff of around 55 engineers, scientists, researchers, physicists, and product development specialists, per The Wall Street Journal, all of whom will join OpenAI.”
OpenAI already owned 23% of io and paid $5 billion in stock for the rest. That is roughly $91 million per employee for a company with no shipped product. Ive keeps LoveFrom independent, so he gets the money and keeps his own shop. The first devices are slated for 2026.