The Enterprise Push: OpenAI Taps A-List Hire to Regain Market Share in 2026
OpenAI is making a bold move into the enterprise space, and it’s bringing in a seasoned pro to lead the charge. Barret Zoph, who’s no stranger to the AI research lab having previously served as vice president of post-training inference from 2022 to 2024, is returning to the company as it faces off against rivals in the lucrative enterprise market.
According to an internal memo obtained by The Information, Zoph will be responsible for guiding OpenAI’s push into the enterprise market, and it’s clear that 2026 is shaping up to be a critical year for the company. As I’ve dug deeper into the story, I’ve reached out to OpenAI for more information and confirmation, but so far, I haven’t heard back.
Zoph’s return to OpenAI comes after a stint as co-founder and CTO at Thinking Machine Labs, a startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The circumstances surrounding his departure from TML are unclear, with rumors swirling about whether he was let go or left on his own accord. Some sources suggest that he and other former OpenAI employees may have been let go or left the startup to return to OpenAI.
OpenAI has made significant strides in the enterprise space, launching its ChatGPT Enterprise product, which has reportedly gained over 5 million business customers, including big-name brands like SoftBank, Target, and Lowe’s. However, the company is struggling to maintain its market share, which has dropped from 50% in 2023 to 27% at the end of 2025, according to a recent report by Menlo Ventures.
Anthropic, a rival AI research lab, holds a dominant lead in the enterprise large language model market, with a 40% market share, while Google’s Gemini adoption has been steady, with a 21% market share at the end of 2025.
To address this issue, OpenAI has announced a multi-year partnership with ServiceNow, which will give ServiceNow customers access to OpenAI models. It’s clear that enterprise growth is a key area of focus for OpenAI in 2026, and with Zoph at the helm, the company will be looking to regain its market share and take on its competitors. Only time will tell if this move will pay off.
Stay tuned for more updates on this story, and be sure to check out our upcoming TechCrunch Event in San Francisco from October 13-15, 2026, where we’ll be discussing the latest trends and innovations in the AI and enterprise spaces.
