Apple has acquired Israel-based startup Q.ai, a move that could provide a much-needed boost to the tech giant’s capabilities in artificial intelligence. Although Apple did not disclose the terms of the deal, the sources said Financial Times that arrangement is reportedly worth nearly $2 billion. If that number is accurate, the Q.ai acquisition marks Apple’s second-largest acquisition to date, behind its purchase of Beats for $3 billion back in 2014.

Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, said in a statement that Q.ai “is an amazing company that is pioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning.” Apple hasn’t shared any details on how it plans to use the startup, but its past work hints at the possibility that Apple will move deeper into AI-powered devices. “Patents filed by Q.ai show its technology used in headphones or glasses, using ‘facial skin micro movements’ to communicate without speaking,” the Times reported.

The startup’s founding team, including CEO Aviad Maizels, will join Apple as part of the deal. This acquisition marks Maizels’ second sale to Apple; he previously founded a three-dimensional hearing business called PrimeSense which was bought by Apple in 2013.

For months, many tech insiders have speculated that an acquisition might be Apple’s best way to get into the AI ​​race. In the company Q3 earnings call in July 2025, CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that “We are open to M&A that accelerates our roadmap.” A deal like this could lead to Apple developing its own fully in-house AI chatbot instead of relying a competitor like Google to the power of artificial intelligence in his Siri assistant.