Apple has announced the acquisition of the Israeli start-up Q.AI, a company that until now operated largely under the radar and developed technology that enables the understanding of “silent speech” through analysis of microscopic movements in facial skin. According to sources familiar with the details, the deal reflects a valuation close to $2B and is among the largest acquisitions Apple has ever made. From the company’s perspective, this is a strategic step aimed at accelerating the development of the next generation of smart wearable devices and competing with players that currently lead the personal AI field.
Q.AI’s technology is based on identifying tiny movements in facial muscles, even without sound, and converting them into commands that can be understood by a computerized system. Patents filed by the company point to possible use in smart glasses or headphones, in which the user can “speak” with an artificial intelligence assistant without uttering a word. The result is completely private interaction, without the need to speak out loud in public spaces and without exposing sensitive content to the surrounding environment.
In a post published on the blog of GV, the former investment arm of Google and one of Q.AI’s investors, it was written that this is Apple’s second-largest acquisition in its history. According to GV, the move reflects deep confidence in the technological capabilities developed in Israel and in their potential to be integrated into consumer products on a global scale.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, stated that Q.AI is “an exceptional company that is leading new and creative ways to combine imaging and machine learning.” His remarks align with a clear trend at Apple in recent years of strengthening computer vision, sensors, and AI capabilities as part of the company’s product ecosystem.
The acquisition comes against the backdrop of intensifying competition in the smart wearable devices market. Meta has achieved commercial success with its smart Ray-Ban glasses, which allow users to converse with an AI assistant using voice. Google and Snap are preparing to launch their own smart glasses later this year, while OpenAI last year acquired the start-up IO founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, which is developing a compact, dedicated device for interacting with ChatGPT.
At the same time, investors and analysts have recently expressed concern that Apple is lagging in the artificial intelligence race, particularly following the delay in launching an advanced version of the Siri voice assistant. The existing system is perceived by many as less advanced compared to Google Gemini and ChatGPT. In this context, Apple recently signed a partnership with Google to integrate Gemini as part of Apple Intelligence, the company’s new suite of AI services.
Traditionally, Apple tends to make relatively small acquisitions, often as part of an “acqui-hire” strategy, with the goal of recruiting teams and targeted technologies. Its largest deal to date was the acquisition of Beats in 2014 for $3B, a move that helped it establish Apple Music and compete with Spotify. In recent years, Apple has also made significant acquisitions in the chip sector, including the purchase of Intel’s cellular modem business in 2019, Dialog Semiconductor in 2018, and the Israeli company Anobit in 2011.
The acquisition of Q.AI also fits into a more recent wave of deals aimed at strengthening AI and computer vision capabilities, especially following the launch of the Vision Pro glasses. Over the past year, Apple acquired the Israeli avatar start-up TrueMeeting and the generative AI company Pointable, as part of broader preparations for the next generation of augmented reality experiences and intelligent interaction.
Q.AI was founded in 2022 in Tel Aviv by Aviad Maizels, Yonatan Wexler, and Avi Barliya. Since its founding, the company has operated in almost complete secrecy. Shortly after its launch, Wexler hinted on social media that he “can’t yet say anything about the product, but it will leave you speechless.” Among the company’s investors are also Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, and Exor.
The company also has an interesting historical connection to Apple. Some members of the team previously worked at PrimeSense, an Israeli start-up that Apple acquired in 2013. PrimeSense’s technology became a cornerstone of the iPhone’s Face ID system. Now, more than a decade later, it appears that Apple is once again turning to Israeli innovation to lay the foundation for the next generation of human–machine interaction.