OpenClaw's Founder & the OpenAI Connection
Peter Steinberger created OpenClaw. In February 2026, he joined OpenAI. Here's the full story.
Peter Steinberger is the creator of OpenClaw (originally called Clawdbot). He's an Austrian software developer best known for building PSPDFKit (now Nutrient), a PDF SDK used by thousands of companies. He started OpenClaw as a personal project in 2024. In February 2026, Reuters reported he joined OpenAI. The OpenClaw project is open source and continues independently.
Who is Peter Steinberger?
Peter Steinberger is an Austrian software developer with a track record of building technical tools that developers actually use. He's best known for PSPDFKit — a PDF rendering and annotation SDK that became the standard for PDF handling in iOS and Android apps. Customers included NASA, Dropbox, and thousands of other companies.
After selling PSPDFKit (it's now called Nutrient under private equity ownership), Steinberger turned his attention to AI assistants. He wanted a self-hosted alternative to services like ChatGPT — something that ran on his own hardware, connected to his messaging apps, and didn't send his data to third parties.
The result was Clawdbot, which eventually became OpenClaw.
How OpenClaw was built
Peter Steinberger releases Clawdbot as an open-source project. A self-hosted AI assistant for Telegram, connecting to Claude.
Developers start using it for personal automation. The project gets traction on GitHub and in developer communities.
First name change as the project expanded beyond just Claude integration.
Final name, reflecting the open-source nature. Support for multiple AI providers, messaging platforms, and a skills system.
Reuters reports that Peter Steinberger has joined OpenAI. Project transitions to community maintenance.
The OpenAI connection
In February 2026, Reuters reported that Peter Steinberger joined OpenAI. This created understandable questions in the OpenClaw community: what happens to the project?
The short answer: nothing changes structurally. OpenClaw is open source. The code is on GitHub. The community, the skills marketplace, and guides like this one exist independently of any single person. Projects like this have outlived their founders before — and will again.
OpenClaw joining someone at OpenAI also doesn't make it an OpenAI product. It still works with Anthropic, Google, and local models. The self-hosted architecture, which is the whole point, hasn't changed.
Source: Reuters, February 2026. We don't have a direct link — search “Peter Steinberger OpenAI” for the coverage.
For journalists and researchers
FAQ
Who created OpenClaw?
Peter Steinberger, an Austrian software developer. He's best known for building PSPDFKit, a PDF SDK used by thousands of companies, which he later sold (it became Nutrient). OpenClaw started as a personal project to build a self-hosted AI assistant.
Did Peter Steinberger leave OpenClaw?
In February 2026, Reuters reported that Steinberger joined OpenAI. This means he's no longer the primary active maintainer of OpenClaw. The project is open source and continues independently.
Is OpenClaw still being developed after Steinberger joined OpenAI?
Yes. OpenClaw is open source (github.com/openclaw/openclaw), so development continues regardless of any individual's involvement. The community, third-party guides like this one, and the skills ecosystem continue to grow.
Is OpenClaw affiliated with OpenAI?
No. The fact that the creator joined OpenAI doesn't make OpenClaw an OpenAI product. OpenClaw is an independent open-source project. It works with multiple AI providers including Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), and Google (Gemini).
What is Peter Steinberger's background?
Austrian software developer. Founded PSPDFKit (now Nutrient) — a PDF rendering and annotation SDK used by NASA, Dropbox, and thousands of other companies. Known in the iOS development community. Sold PSPDFKit before starting OpenClaw.
What happened to Clawdbot's creator?
Clawdbot is the original name for OpenClaw. The creator, Peter Steinberger, joined OpenAI in February 2026. The project he built continues as open source.