Just five days after acquiring Cursor for $60 billion, SpaceX attempted to purchase Cognition.

      According to Bloomberg, SpaceX reached out to AI coding startup Cognition regarding a potential acquisition, but Cognition did not engage in discussions. CEO Scott Wu publicly stated that his company is “not for sale and we haven’t been talking.” This would have marked Cognition's second major AI acquisition in just a few months.

      The denial from Cognition came on the same day and expanded beyond the initial report. Wu emphasized that Cognition is “not for sale and we haven’t been talking.”

      While the reports are similar, they aren't identical. Bloomberg mentioned an approach that was not taken further, in addition to ongoing conversations about potential collaboration, including a possible deal for Cognition to utilize SpaceX’s computing resources.

      Cognition is not inexpensive; it secured $1 billion at a $26 billion valuation in May and has been in preliminary discussions with investors this month, with a valuation of at least $40 billion.

      This comes in light of SpaceX's recent acquisition of Cursor for $60 billion on August 14, marking the largest transaction in the vibe coding market.

      The rapid pursuit of a second acquisition indicates something about the first. SpaceX’s AI division has lagged behind competitors in selling to businesses and has undergone job reductions and restructuring.

      Cognition would bring existing customers. Its Devin agent is utilized by Mercedes-Benz and GE Aerospace, and Bloomberg indicates that Cognition's commercial success piqued SpaceX's interest as much as its technology.

      Elon Musk has set ambitious goals, stating that AI revenue would surpass rocket earnings by September, a target that necessitates enterprise customers over research accolades.

      The discussions regarding computing resources are particularly noteworthy. If Cognition ends up using SpaceX’s GPUs, it could create a scenario where a company that declined to be acquired becomes reliant on the infrastructure of the company that made the acquisition attempt.

      Wu's previous statements are significant in interpreting the denial. He informed Bloomberg in May that the latest funding round was what enabled Cognition to “remain independent and continue as a standalone business.”

      For European developers, the focus is less on the potential deal and more on the trajectory. The tools their engineering teams rely on are being consolidated into an American conglomerate that also engages in rocket launches and operates a satellite network.

       Published August 19, 2026 - 10:26 pm UTC

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