Four MIT Grads Launch "Cursor," a Code Editor Built Around AI from the Ground Up

Anysphere, founded in 2022 by MIT graduates Michael Truell, Sualeh Asif, Arvid Lunnemark, and Aman Sanger, released “Cursor,” a code editor designed with AI built in from the ground up. Built on top of VS Code, it was designed to weave AI deeply into every interaction. Note that no primary source has confirmed an exact official announcement “date” — while multiple reports and accounts from those involved confirm the launch happened in March 2023, the precise day has never been officially disclosed.

Details

• Background: The founders were inspired by GitHub Copilot’s launch to individual users, but became convinced that “something more deeply integrated could be built,” which set them on the path to developing Cursor
• Product direction: A fork built on VS Code, but designed as an “AI-native” editor centered on conversational interaction with AI and multi-file editing, rather than just another autocomplete tool
• Early approach: The team avoided flashy growth hacks or press tours, instead focusing on the product “like monks,” with growth driven mainly by word of mouth
• Founding story: Michael Truell had launched multiple products before Cursor, and has said that Cursor was his “eighth attempt”

What happened next

After steady word-of-mouth growth, Cursor raised a seed round led by the OpenAI Startup Fund in October 2023. By 2024, it had become the subject of a bidding war among major VCs like Andreessen Horowitz and Thrive Capital, putting it on a rapid growth trajectory.