Microsoft reportedly explored buying Cursor as SpaceX secures rights to acquire the AI startup for $60 billion

Microsoft reportedly explored acquiring AI coding startup Cursor before SpaceX secured the rights to acquire the company in a deal valued at $60 billion. According to a CNBC report, people familiar with the matter claim that Microsoft considered making a move as part of its broader efforts to expand its position in the growing market for AI development tools.

However, the company ultimately decided not to proceed with the bid.This move is happening at a time of stiff competition in the AI code-generation tool market, with all players focusing on developing software assistants for developers. Though Microsoft has been making good progress with its GitHub Copilot tool, Cursor has also made strides in this market segment. Microsoft has also positioned itself as an investor and cloud provider, supporting AI companies through its Azure platform.

What we know about the SpaceX deal as market competition increases

SpaceX confirmed earlier this week that it has agreed to acquire Cursor by the end of the year or pay the company $10 billion if the deal does not go through. In a post on X, the company said, “SpaceXAI and @cursor_ai are now working closely together to create the world’s best coding and knowledge work AI.” Cursor CEO Michael Truell added on X that he’s “excited to partner with the SpaceX team to scale up Composer,” referring to the company’s AI model.

The agreement comes near the end of Cursor's fundraising phase, with some potential investors reportedly caught off guard by the development. Cursor’s venture capital firms first raised capital for it at a valuation of about $50 billion amid high demand for app-building tools. SpaceX had also offered Cursor access to compute resources in the weeks leading up to the announcement.The move follows Elon Musk’s decision earlier this year to merge SpaceX with his AI startup xAI in a deal valued at $1.25 trillion as the combined entity prepares for a potential public listing.Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to expand its AI offerings. Earlier this year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that GitHub Copilot had 4.7 million paying subscribers, reflecting growth in adoption. At the same time, OpenAI’s Codex has reached 4 million active users, while Anthropic’s Claude Code service has seen increased usage, helping the company reach $30 billion in annualised revenue.