Apple Acquires Israeli Audio AI Startup Q.ai to Boost Voice Technology

Apple acquires Israeli AI audio startup Q.ai in deal reportedly worth nearly $2 billion

Apple has acquired Israeli artificial intelligence startup Q.ai, which develops advanced audio and speech-recognition technologies, the iPhone maker said on Thursday. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

However, a report by the Financial Times valued the deal at nearly $2 billion, a figure that Reuters could not independently verify.

Q.ai was backed by prominent venture capital firms including Matter Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, Exor, and GV (formerly Google Ventures).

Focus on next-generation audio AI

Apple said Q.ai has been working on new applications of machine learning to help devices better understand whispered speech and enhance audio quality in noisy or challenging environments.

The startup has also been developing more experimental capabilities. Last year, it filed a patent application describing technology that uses facial skin micromovements to detect silently mouthed or spoken words, identify individuals, and assess biometric indicators such as emotions, heart rate, and respiration.

Apple did not specify how it plans to integrate Q.ai’s technology into its products.

Team joins Apple

All 100 employees, including CEO Aviad Maizels and cofounders Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya, will join Apple as part of the acquisition.

Maizels is no stranger to the company. He previously founded PrimeSense, a 3D sensing firm that Apple acquired in 2013. That technology later helped Apple transition from fingerprint authentication to Face ID facial recognition on iPhones.

“Joining Apple opens extraordinary possibilities for pushing boundaries and realising the full potential of what we’ve created,” Maizels said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to bring these experiences to people everywhere.”

Expanding AI push

The acquisition comes as Apple steps up investments in AI-powered hardware features. The company has recently introduced AI enhancements to its AirPods, including speech translation capabilities.

Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, described Q.ai as “a remarkable company pioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning.”

“We’re thrilled to acquire the company, with Aviad at the helm, and are even more excited for what’s to come,” he said.

The deal underscores Apple’s broader push to strengthen its AI and sensor technologies as competition intensifies across consumer devices.