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Apple has acquired Q.ai, an Israel based artificial intelligence startup specializing in advanced audio and speech technologies, in a deal valued at approximately $1.6 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The acquisition, first reported by Reuters, marks one of Apple’s most significant AI focused purchases in recent years as it accelerates efforts to strengthen voice driven intelligence across its products.
Apple confirmed the acquisition but did not disclose financial terms. Q.ai was previously backed by prominent venture firms including Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, GV, Exor, and Matter Venture Partners. The startup employs around 100 people, all of whom, including CEO Aviad Maizels and cofounders Yonatan Wexler and Avi Barliya, will join Apple. Maizels remarked the new beginnings as:
Joining Apple opens extraordinary possibilities for pushing boundaries and realizing the full potential of what we’ve created, and we’re thrilled to bring these experiences to people everywhere.
Q.ai has been developing machine learning systems designed to help devices understand whispered speech, improve voice recognition in noisy environments, and enhance audio clarity under challenging conditions. Apple said the technology could support future innovations across products such as AirPods, iPhones, and accessibility tools, though it stopped short of outlining specific integration plans.
The acquisition has drawn attention in part due to Q.ai’s patent filings. In 2024, the company filed an application describing technology that uses subtle facial skin micromovements to detect mouthed or softly spoken words. The system could also potentially identify users and infer physiological signals such as heart rate, respiration, and emotional state. Analysts say such capabilities align closely with Apple’s longer term ambitions around hands free computing, health monitoring, and spatial interaction.
Industry observers note that Q.ai’s leadership brings proven Apple relevant experience. Maizels previously founded PrimeSense, the Israeli 3D sensing company Apple acquired in 2013. That acquisition laid the groundwork for Face ID and Apple’s transition away from fingerprint based authentication.
Apple has been steadily expanding its audio and voice AI footprint. In 2025, the company introduced real time translation features for AirPods and enhanced on device speech processing as part of its broader push toward privacy centric AI.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, talked about the acquisition in a statement:
“[Q.ai] is a remarkable company that is 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.”
It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t the first time Maizels has sold a company to Apple. Back in 2013, he sold PrimeSense, a 3D-sensing firm that was instrumental in helping Apple shift from fingerprint sensors to facial recognition technology on iPhones.
Apple, Meta, and Google are in a heated competition to take the lead in the next wave of AI technology, and they’ve recently ramped up their focus on hardware. With its recent purchase of the AI startup Q.ai, Apple is looking to gain an advantage, especially in the audio space.
