OpenAI's PBC division has announced its intention to acquire Neptune Labs Inc., a startup that offers a platform designed to identify opportunities for improving artificial intelligence models.
The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI plans to fund the deal using company stock.
AI models consist of millions of relatively simple code units known as neurons, which are organized into layers. Each layer handles only a small portion of the computations required when processing user prompts.
Researchers often analyze technical data from these AI model layers to pinpoint areas for enhancement. However, due to the complexity and massive storage requirements of such data, collection can be challenging. While some observability tools address this by downsampling or compressing telemetry from AI layers to make it more manageable, this approach typically compromises data accuracy.
Neptune’s platform captures full-resolution telemetry from AI model layers without downsampling. The Poland-based company states that its software therefore provides AI researchers with a more comprehensive view of their algorithms. This enhanced visibility makes it easier to detect inefficiencies, quality gaps, and other issues during AI training runs.
One key capability Neptune streamlines is tracking gradients in AI models—critical data points that enable neural networks to learn from errors by adjusting neuron configurations to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Neptune also gathers data on activation functions, which are code modules attached to neurons in AI models. These functions determine which neurons should participate in a given computation. Including unnecessary neurons in a calculation loop can degrade output quality.
Once data about an AI model’s layers is compiled, Neptune visualizes it through intuitive charts, eliminating the need to export data to external analytics tools. Additionally, the platform simplifies the process of comparing multiple model configurations to determine which yields the highest-quality outputs.
According to Neptune’s website, its software is already used by over 60,000 AI researchers—including professionals at OpenAI, who leverage the platform to support their model development efforts. In a blog post, the ChatGPT developer stated that the acquisition will enhance its internal AI tooling capabilities.
Neptune plans to sunset its platform on March 4. The company will provide migration guides, scripts, and other technical resources to help users transition their data to competing platforms.
This deal follows OpenAI’s recent acquisition of Software Applications Inc., an AI agent startup founded by former Apple employees. That company developed Sky, an automation tool capable of interacting with macOS on behalf of users. OpenAI has since integrated Software Applications’ technology into ChatGPT.
