OpenAI Acquires Odessia, the AI Travel Agent From Sonder’s Co-Founder

Photo Credit: Francis Davidson, then CEO of Sonder, speaking on-stage at a Skift event in 2023. Skift OpenAI has acquired Odessia, the AI travel agent startup founded by Sonder co-founder Francis Davidson, less than a year after Davidson launched Odessia. Davidson announced the deal Tuesday and said he will join OpenAI "to focus on the future of travel." Terms weren't disclosed. "We'll have more to share on the shape of the future soon," Davidson wrote, without saying whether Odessia will keep operating as a standalone company. For OpenAI — and the travel industry — it's the clearest sign yet that OpenAI wants its own travel expertise. Until now, OpenAI's travel strategy has leaned on partners. Booking.com and Expedia were among the first apps inside ChatGPT when OpenAI opened its app platform in October 2025, letting users search their inventory without leaving the chat. OpenAI has also been building travel advertising and booking into ChatGPT into the interim so users can buy without going to a merc