Anthropic acquires dev tools start-up Stainless
What's the story
Anthropic, a leading player in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, has acquired Stainless, a New York-based start-up. The company was founded in 2022 by Alex Rattray, a former Stripe engineer. Stainless is known for its software that automates the creation and maintenance of software development kits (SDKs). Developers use these SDKs to interact with APIs. Anthropic did not disclose terms of the deal.
Tech innovation
Stainless's platform automates SDK creation and maintenance
Stainless's software can transform API specifications into production-ready SDKs in various programming languages such as Python, TypeScript, Kotlin, Go, and Java. The platform automatically updates these SDKs as APIs change, eliminating the tedious task of manual maintenance. This innovative technology is especially useful for companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Replicate Runway and Cloudflare that are developing AI agents capable of connecting with external software to perform user tasks.
Product discontinuation
Anthropic to discontinue hosted products post acquisition
Post the acquisition, Anthropic plans to discontinue all hosted Stainless products, including its SDK generator. However, an Anthropic spokesperson assured that Stainless customers will still own the SDKs they have generated so far and have full rights to modify and extend them as per their requirements. This move is likely to give Anthropic a competitive edge in the AI industry by keeping a key infrastructure supplier away from its rivals.
Software impact
Stainless has been generating all official Anthropic SDKs
Anthropic has revealed that Stainless's software has been instrumental in generating every official Anthropic SDK since the inception of its API. Rattray, who started Stainless with a vision to give SDKs as much care as APIs they wrap, said he was excited about the acquisition. He added that "the team gets to keep doing the work we love, on the platform where it matters most."