A little-known open-source tech company has suddenly found itself at the center of an internet firestorm and corporate crisis thanks to a Coldplay concert, a kiss cam, and what appears to be a very public lapse in judgment.
On Friday, Astronomer, a startup that builds data orchestration tools atop open-source Airflow, announced that its Board of Directors has launched a formal investigation into its own C-suite leadership. The internal probe follows the viral explosion of a video that showed CEO Andy Byron, who is married, in what appeared to be an intimate embrace with his head of HR, Kristin Cabot, during Coldplay’s Wednesday night performance at Gillette Stadium in Boston.
Caught on Camera: “Our Leaders Are Expected to Set the Standard”
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), the company addressed the incident head-on.
“The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly,” the statement read.
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.”
Astronomer did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
According to a report by Axios published Friday, both Byron and Cabot have been placed on leave pending the results of the investigation.
