{"id":446132,"date":"2026-01-31T23:40:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T23:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/446132\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T23:40:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T23:40:21","slug":"apple-buys-israeli-startup-reportedly-for-2-billion-that-reads-facial-micro-movements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/446132\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple buys Israeli startup, reportedly for $2 billion, that reads facial ‘micro movements’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple on Thursday confirmed acquiring the Israeli startup Q.ai, in what appeared to be part of the tech giant\u2019s efforts to make inroads into the wearables market, with the aid of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

The purchase cost Apple almost $2 billion, people familiar with the terms told the Financial Times<\/a>. Industry press said it was the second-largest acquisition in the company\u2019s history, after its purchase of the Beats music giant in 2014.<\/p>\n

Q.ai is tight-lipped in public about its technology, but patents it filed show tech being used in headphones or glasses using \u201cfacial skin micro movements\u201d for nonverbal communication, according to the FT.<\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s vice president of hardware, Johnny Srouji, said in a statement that the startup is \u201cpioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The move may be a component of Apple\u2019s strategy for \u201cwearable\u201d products, such as smart glasses. Software that reads facial expressions could potentially make way for a hands-free user interface that doesn\u2019t require talking out loud, reports noted.<\/p>\n

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Tom Hulme, who heads GV (formerly Google Ventures), one of Q.ai\u2019s main backers, wrote in a blog post<\/a> about the acquisition: \u201cFor decades, we have been forced to speak the language of the machine: learning to type, to click and to swipe. But, we believe we are in the midst of a new tech revolution: an era where the machine finally learns to understand us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tA person wears an Apple watch, Jan. 21, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (AP Photo\/Emilie Megnien)<\/p>\n

Among Q.ai\u2019s other investors are Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital and Exor, FT reported.<\/p>\n

The startup, founded in 2022, is led by Aviad Maizels, whose previous project, PrimeSense, was also acquired by Apple in 2013 and was core to developing the latter\u2019s facial recognition software.<\/p>\n

His co-founders are fellow Israeli entrepreneurs Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya.<\/p>\n

In Hulme\u2019s blog post, the GV executive noted: \u201cAfter the horrendous October 7th attack in 2023, approximately 30% of the company were drafted into military service, and for months afterwards our weekly meetings were interrupted as the team had to scramble into bomb shelters.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cNot once did [the Israelis] complain, instead their energy was focused on supporting their community and making technical breakthroughs.\u201d<\/p>\n


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