Apple acquires an AI startup specializing in overseeing manufacturing components

Apple has acquired Canada-based DarwinAI, a startup specializing in vision-based technology for manufacturing efficiency improvement, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Although neither Apple nor DarwinAI has officially announced the acquisition, several members of DarwinAI’s team updated their LinkedIn profiles to indicate they joined Apple’s machine learning teams in January.

DarwinAI had secured over $15 million in funding from investors such as BDC Capital’s Deep Tech Venture Fund, Honeywell Ventures, Obvious Ventures, and Inovia Capital. BDC Capital has confirmed the exit from DarwinAI on its website, while Obvious Ventures has updated its portfolio to reflect the acquisition.

Both BDC Capital and Obvious Ventures declined to comment on the report, and Apple has not responded to requests for comment.

DarwinAI’s expertise lies not only in improving manufacturing efficiency but also in techniques to make AI models smaller and faster. This capability could be beneficial for Apple’s plans to introduce on-device generative AI features in iOS 18 later this year.

Apple has been trailing behind competitors like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft in releasing generative AI-powered features. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned during a quarterly earnings call in February that the company intends to introduce such features later in the year.

Cook had previously confirmed Apple’s investment in generative AI efforts, and the company’s job listings suggest exploration of AI integration in various internal and external areas, including Siri, developer tools, and customer support.