Vijaye Raji (Statsig): 10 Key Things You Must Know

Overview

Vijaye Raji is a prominent Indian-origin technology entrepreneur and engineer best known as the founder and CEO of Statsig, a cutting-edge software experimentation platform. Based in Seattle, Raji has a rich career spanning two decades at major tech giants like Microsoft and Meta (formerly Facebook). His innovative work culminated in a landmark $1.1 billion acquisition of Statsig by OpenAI in 2025, where he subsequently joined as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Applications. This article explores Vijaye Raji's background, the rise of Statsig, and his pivotal role as a visionary leader in the tech landscape, offering intriguing insights into his career, education, and personal life.

1. Early Life and Education of Vijaye Raji

Vijaye Raji was born in Puducherry, India. He developed a passion for programming early, starting to code at age 12 despite limited local resources. He pursued formal education at Pondicherry University, graduating in 1999 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree. This foundation propelled his entry into the tech industry and laid the groundwork for his future innovations. His early dedication to coding and engineering reflects the perseverance and curiosity that characterize his later successes.

2. Career at Microsoft and Meta

After graduation, Raji launched his professional career at Microsoft, where he worked for nearly a decade. His contributions included designing and developing core products like Windows Application Framework, SQL Server Modeling Language/Runtime, and Visual Studio Editor. In 2011, he transitioned to Facebook (now Meta), steadily rising through the ranks over ten years to senior leadership roles, including VP and Head of Entertainment, VP and Head of Gaming, and Head of the Facebook Seattle office. His responsibilities covered broad domains, contributing to products such as Messenger for Windows, Facebook Marketplace, and Groups Commerce.

3. Founding of Statsig

In 2021, building on his deep experience at Meta and Microsoft, Vijaye Raji founded Statsig with the goal of democratizing access to sophisticated experimentation tools traditionally used by large tech companies. Statsig offers an all-in-one platform that combines feature flagging, A/B testing, product analytics, session replays, and real-time decisioning, enabling product teams to quickly release, test, and evaluate features. The company emphasizes rapid iteration and data-driven decision-making to enhance product development.

4. Statsig's Mission and Platform Features

Statsig's mission is to bring scientific rigor to the art of product development. The platform unifies fragmented product development tools into a single integrated solution, comprising:

Feature release control and targeted rollouts
Real-time impact measurement and experimentation capabilities
Unified product data and insightful analytics
Session replays capturing qualitative feedback
Application performance monitoring and optimization

This comprehensive approach allows companies to eliminate guesswork and make fast, data-informed decisions, appealing to customers ranging from startups to large enterprises.

5. Statsig's Growth and Valuation

Since its launch, Statsig has rapidly scaled, attracting hundreds of paying customers, including Microsoft, Notion, Brex, Flipkart, OpenAI, and others. In May 2025, Statsig secured $100 million in Series C funding at a $1.1 billion valuation, led by ICONIQ Growth with participation from Sequoia Capital and Madrona Venture Group. This milestone marked Statsig as a unicorn startup, underscoring its growing influence in the software experimentation market and validating its unique value proposition.

6. Acquisition by OpenAI and Vijaye Raji's New Role

In September 2025, OpenAI announced the acquisition of Statsig in an all-stock deal valued at $1.1 billion, making it one of OpenAI's largest acquisitions to date. As part of the deal, Vijaye Raji joined OpenAI as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Applications, a newly created role. In this position, Raji is tasked with leading product engineering for flagship AI products such as ChatGPT and Codex, as well as overseeing infrastructure, integrity, and development to scale OpenAI's AI applications for millions worldwide.

7. Impact and Leadership Style

Known for his hands-on leadership and scrappy approach, Vijaye Raji fosters fast iterative development cycles to accelerate product delivery and innovation. He emphasizes psychological safety, transparency, and empowering teams with clear goals and a rhythm of execution. His approach includes daily stand-ups, quarterly planning, hackathons, and data-driven prioritization. Raji values questioning established processes ("No Sacred Cats"), focusing on measurable outcomes over effort, and making decisions quickly to maintain momentum.

8. Personal Life and Interests

Vijaye Raji is married to Ashley Lauren Raji. Outside his professional commitments, he enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering to teach computer science to elementary school students. Raji exhibits a humble personality, often deflecting praise but is widely respected and beloved among his teams. He resides in Issaquah, Washington, near Seattle, where Statsig is headquartered.

9. Statsig Valuation and Market Position

Statsig's $1.1 billion valuation reflects its solid revenue growth, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) reportedly rising from $1 million to $40 million within three years. The platform competes against other experimentation and feature management firms like Eppo and Datadog. Statsig's integrated, data-driven approach and backing by strong investors have positioned it as a leader in a growing "product observability" category, where formerly siloed workflows are being unified. Its acquisition by OpenAI further strengthens its capability and market reach.

10. Vijaye Raji Net Worth

While exact figures are private, Vijaye Raji's net worth significantly increased following the sale of Statsig to OpenAI. The $1.1 billion all-stock acquisition deal and his senior executive role at OpenAI position him among leading tech entrepreneurs. His long tenure at Microsoft and Meta, combined with the successful startup exit, suggests a substantial personal financial standing, reflecting his decades-long contribution to the tech ecosystem.

Conclusion

Vijaye Raji's journey from a young programmer in Puducherry to a top technology leader at OpenAI embodies the evolution of modern tech innovation driven by discipline, vision, and continuous learning. Through Statsig, he has transformed product development into a data-driven science, empowering teams worldwide to build better software faster. His role at OpenAI now places him at the forefront of AI application development during a pivotal era. As AI transforms industries and daily life, leaders like Raji will shape the future of technology products and their impact on society. What new innovations and leadership insights will Vijaye Raji bring to the AI frontier remains an exciting prospect to follow.