In a surprising move, Cognition– the makers of autonomous coding tool Devin— acquired what was left of its rival Windsurf after the company’s cofounders Varun Mohan and Douglas Chen and other staff members were poached by Google DeepMind for $2.

Google wants its AI models to become bigger in coding. It has now hired the CEO of one of the top startups in that area.

The move is the culmination of a turbulent period for Windsurf, and indicates that agentic IDEs have become a new battleground.

After OpenAI’s failed bid, Windsurf's leadership joined Google, while Cognition Labs acquired the startup in a strategic AI shake-up.

Google's strategic acquisition of Windsurf leaders strengthens its AI coding efforts amidst intense competition for top talent.

Varun Mohan, a math prodigy turned MIT engineer, co-founded Windsurf, an AI startup revolutionizing software development. Google recognized Windsurf's

Varun Mohan, MIT-educated co-founder of AI startup Windsurf, was hired by Google in a move that came after OpenAI’s reported bid to acquire the company.

Google hires Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan & co-founder Douglas Chen to lead its Gemini AI project, signalling a major move in the AI talent war against rivals like OpenAI

Varun Mohan is of Indian descent, having been born and raised in Sunnyvale, California, by children of Indian immigrants. He went to The Harker School in San Jose, and then to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a Bachelor's and Master of Engineering in Computer Science.