Apple has bought an AI startup that reads facial movements. Earlier, a similar deal resulted in FaceID

Apple has bought Israeli startup Q.ai, which develops technologies for reading facial movements and understanding silent communications, Bloomberg reported. The terms of the deal Apple did not disclose and did not specify exactly how Q.ai technology will be used, noted Reuters. According to Financial Times sources, the deal values the startup at nearly $2 billion.

Q.ai is working on new ways of applying machine learning, including whisper recognition: its software analyzes the movements of a person's facial muscles during a conversation, Bloomberg writes. The startup's website lists Google Ventures, Spark Capital (its portfolio includes Twitter, Discord and Anthropic) and Kleiner Perkins (its partners include Airbnb and Amazon) among its investors.

Q.ai technology could potentially be used in FaceTime (video calling service) and in devices like smart glasses or headsets, Bloomberg notes. In addition, the startup's developments could potentially be used to improve the sound in AirPods headphones. The full Q.ai founding team will join Apple, including Maisels.

"We combined advanced machine learning algorithms with physics to create a truly deep and unique technology," said the startup's co-founder Aviad Maisels (quoted by Bloomberg). Maisels was one of the founders of the startup PrimeSense, which Apple bought in 2013. PrimeSense dealt with 3D sensors: it helped Apple move from fingerprint scanners to FaceID facial recognition technology, which is now used, for example, to unlock iPhones and confirm purchases with Apple Pay, explained Reuters.

"Q.ai is an outstanding company that is finding new, creative ways to apply computer vision and machine learning," Reuters quoted Apple's senior vice president of hardware technology Joni Srouji as saying.

Apple doesn't often do takeover deals. The company prefers to make small deals with products or teams that it can use to create new features of its own.

Just over a year ago, the iPhone developer acquired Lithuanian company Pixelmator, which had developed a photo editing app of the same name with artificial intelligence features. Pixelmator also became part of Apple.

Apple shares were up about 0.8% in trading on January 29 - ahead of the publication of quarterly reports. Compared to the beginning of 2026, they are now worth 5% cheaper. Most analysts advise buying the company's securities: they have 29 Buy and Overweight ratings out of 50 combined, MarketWatch shows. At the same time, 18 recommend Hold, while three recommend Sell and Underweight.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor