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Apple Acquires Q.ai for Reported $2B in Second-Largest Deal
Apple's $2 billion acquisition of Israeli AI startup Q.ai adds about 100 employees and advances audio and silent speech tech for Siri and future wearables, the company's second-largest deal.
- Apple today confirmed it acquired Q.ai, an Israeli AI startup, with Financial Times reporting the deal valued close to $2 billion.
- Q.ai's technology focuses on analyzing facial expressions and facial skin micro-movements to decode silent speech, enabling whisper-level speech and improved audio in noisy environments.
- The Q.ai team, including Aviad Maizels, Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya, launched Q.ai in 2022, operated in stealth, and will join Apple; Maizels sold PrimeSense to Apple in 2013.
- Integrating Q.ai's systems could enable silent voice input and ultra-reliable voice control for Siri across AirPods, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, supporting mixed-reality and in-car systems.
- Apple's public confirmation is notable because it rarely confirms acquisitions; Q.ai's investors include Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia-backed fund, amid AI hardware competition with Meta and Google.
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Apple has acquired an IA startup call Q.ai. The business will be evaluated in about $2 billion.
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Total News Sources71
Leaning Left13Leaning Right5Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 39%
C 46%
15%
Factuality
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