OpenAI acquires AI travel-agent startup Odessia, bringing Sonder founder Francis Davidson in-house

Francis Davidson, who co-founded Sonder before it filed for bankruptcy in late 2025, announced November 10 that OpenAI has acquired his AI travel-agent startup Odessia on undisclosed terms and hired him alongside the roughly nine-person team. Odessia — an IATA-accredited booking agent that handled over $60 million of trip bookings during its summer preview after raising $6 million from Sequoia — has already shut down its standalone product. OpenAI, which counts Booking.com, Expedia, and Kayak as customers, has not confirmed its specific plans for travel.