The artificial intelligence firm whose CEO and HR boss were caught in an embarrassing clinch at a Coldplay concert has issued a terse statement on the scandal.
Astronomy, a billion-dollar AI company, wrote on LinkedIn that it has opened an investigation into the incident, and insisted it ‘is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding.’
‘Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,’ the statement read.
The moment went viral as Andrew Byron, the firm’s CEO, fell to his knees as a kiss-cam at a concert for the rock band zeroed in on him and his apparent partner at the show, his Chief People Officer Kirstin Cabot.
The company said it’s board of directors has ‘initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.’
The tech firm added that reports that its vice-president of HR, Alyssa Stoddard, was not at the event, as had been claimed on social media.
‘Andy Byron has not put out any statement, reports saying otherwise are all incorrect,’ the statement concluded.
It is unclear if the pair have been suspended, but that astronomy’s board have likely been hugely embarrassed by the multi-day saga which has swept the globe and has been viewed millions of times on social media.
On Tuesday night, Andrew Byron, the CEO of AI firm Astronomer, and his Chief People Officer Kirstin Cabot, were caught in an embarrassing clinch at a Coldplay concert
Andy Byron (left) and Kirstin Cabot (right) shot to viral infamy after the footage at the Coldplay concert went viral
The viral moment unfolded Tuesday night at Gillette Stadium, as Byron and Cabot were seen cuddled in each other’s arms enjoying the show.
As they appeared on the big screen, the pair panicked, with Byron falling to his knees and Cabot putting her face in her hands and turning away.
The crowd roared with laughter at the sight, while frontman Chris Martin said: ‘Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.’
After the hilarious kiss-cam video circulated through social media, Daily Mail revealed that Byron exclaimed ‘f***ing hell, it’s me’ as he appeared on the stadium big screen.
Cabot, 56, seemingly uttered a more measured, ‘this is awkward’, on realizing she and Byron were exposed.
On Friday, new footage emerged showing Martin’s cringing reaction once the pair had moved off the big screen.
‘I don’t know what to do,’ the singer said through laughter as the crowd erupted. ‘Oh s***, I hope we didn’t do something bad.’
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin made light of the moment onstage, telling his crowd: ‘Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy’
Byron’s firm is valued at over $1 billion, with the company experiencing rapid growth since he became CEO in 2023.
That year, Astronomer reported a 292% growth in revenue for its ‘Astro’ platform.
Just a week before his unfortunate viral fame, Byron appeared on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) TV to celebrate the company after it raised $93 million in its Series D round of financing.
A beaming Byron described the investment as ‘a huge opportunity’ and ‘very exciting’ for the firm.
When Cabot joined the firm as HR boss in November 2024, Byron heaped praise on her, saying she would be a ‘perfect fit’ at his company.
‘Kristin’s exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,’ he said in a press release at the time.
‘She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.’
Byron became CEO in 2023, and just a week before he shot to social media infamy, he appeared on NYSE TV to laud his company’s $93 million fundraising in its Series D, which Byron described as ‘a huge opportunity’ and ‘very exciting’ for the firm
Grace Springer, 28, was recording from the crowd when Andrew Byron and Kirstin Cabot appeared on the big screen, and told the couple: ‘Play stupid games, win stupid prizes’
The Coldplay fan who filmed the moment that Byron and Cabot were caught on the kiss-cam, Grace Springer, 28, spoke out on Friday as her footage became a global hit.
Grace, from New Jersey, told the US Sun that she had no idea who the pair were when they sent the stadium into hysteria.
She said the moment became the talk of the show due to their ‘interesting reaction’, and admitted that ‘a part of me feels bad for turning these people’s lives upside down.’
But she added in a cheeky swipe: ‘Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.’
Springer said there was ‘a lot of talk’ about the kiss cam at the show, but ‘no one knew who they were’.
