Apple has acquired an Israeli artificial intelligence startup called Q.ai, according to a company representative. The value of the deal was not shared.
Q.ai was a very secretive company and had not publicly launched any product. However, its website suggests that the startup was working on audio-related technology.
The startup was led by CEO Aviad Maizels, who had earlier sold another company, PrimeSense, to Apple in 2013.
“We’re thrilled to acquire the company, with Aviad at the helm, and are even more excited for what’s to come,” Johny Srouji, Apple senior vice president of hardware technologies, told Reuters, which first reported the news. Srouji leads Apple’s chip development.
Q.ai was backed by well-known investors such as GV (Google Ventures), Kleiner Perkins, and Spark Capital. According to PitchBook, the startup was working on technology to improve communication.
Apple has been adding more AI features to its AirPods in recent years. These include live translation and smart noise cancellation that can detect when the user is talking to someone.
Some investors believe Apple should make a large acquisition in AI, as other big tech companies are spending heavily on advanced AI models and infrastructure.
At the same time, some of Apple’s AI-related product updates, such as a more advanced and personalized Siri that can work across apps, have been delayed.
Apple usually prefers to buy smaller companies with specific technologies it can add to its products. Earlier this month, Apple also announced a deal with Google to use Gemini AI models for certain Apple Intelligence features.
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