Pakistani co-founder’s AI startup Cursor lands $60bn SpaceX deal

SAN FRANCISCO: Cursor AI, an artificial intelligence coding startup co-founded by Pakistani-born entrepreneur Sualeh Asif, has secured a $60 billion acquisition agreement with SpaceX, according to multiple reports.

The agreement gives SpaceX the right to acquire Cursor later this year. If the deal does not proceed, SpaceX will pay $10 billion for its collaboration with the company, according to a statement shared on X.

The partnership is expected to combine Cursor’s AI-powered coding tools with SpaceX’s large-scale computing infrastructure, including its advanced “Colossus” training supercomputer, to develop next-generation AI models.

Cursor, developed by Anysphere, is among a new wave of startups — alongside firms like OpenAI and Anthropic — that are gaining traction by automating software development through artificial intelligence.

Originally from Karachi, Asif studied at Nixor College before attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he co-founded Anysphere with fellow students. He also represented Pakistan at the International Mathematical Olympiad between 2016 and 2018.

Cursor has rapidly scaled, reportedly surpassing $1 billion in annualised revenue and reaching a valuation of $29.3 billion in late 2025 after raising $2.3 billion in funding from major venture capital firms.

The platform is now used by millions of developers across more than 50,000 enterprises, including companies such as Nvidia, Adobe, Uber and Shopify.

Former IT minister Umar Saif praised Asif’s achievement, calling him a role model for Pakistani youth and highlighting his rise from a middle-class background to building a globally impactful technology company.