CUPERTINO, California – Apple Inc. confirmed Thursday it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli artificial intelligence startup specializing in machine learning for audio and communication, in a deal valued at approximately $2 billion according to sources familiar with the terms who spoke to the Financial Times, marking the iPhone maker’s second-largest acquisition ever and the second time founder Aviad Maizels has sold a company to Apple.
The purchase, which brings Q.ai’s entire founding team to Apple, comes as the tech giant intensifies its push into AI-powered hardware amid fierce competition from Meta and Google in next-generation wearable devices. Maizels previously founded PrimeSense, a 3D sensing company that Apple acquired in 2013 for approximately $350 million and whose motion-sensing technology became central to the Face ID facial recognition system introduced with iPhone X in 2017.
Silent Speech Technology Could Transform Siri and Wearables
Q.ai develops machine learning applications designed to help devices interpret whisper-level speech and enhance audio quality in challenging acoustic environments, Apple said in a statement Thursday. Patent filings tied to the company describe systems that analyze minute facial skin movements—specifically around the zygomaticus and risorius muscles near the mouth—to decode speech intent without audible vocalization, a capability known as “silent speech”.
One patent application filed by the startup details technology using coherent light and optical sensors embedded in wearable devices such as headphones or eyeglasses to detect facial micromovements associated with speech before sound is produced. The system can identify mouthed or whispered words, authenticate users, assess emotional states, and even estimate physiological signals like heart rate by analyzing reflection patterns from facial skin, according to the technical documentation.
The capabilities could be applied to AirPods, Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, and improvements to the Siri voice assistant—all areas where Apple has been deepening AI integration. Apple introduced live language translation features to AirPods last year and has been expanding spatial audio capabilities across its wearable product line.
Experienced Israeli Team Joins Apple
Maizels founded Q.ai in 2022 shortly after leaving Apple, partnering with Dr. Yonatan Wexler, who previously served in research and development leadership at assistive technology company OrCam, and AI researcher Dr. Avi Barliya. The Ramat Gan, Israel-based startup raised $24.5 million in seed funding in January 2023 from investors including venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, Alphabet’s Gradient Ventures, and funds Aleph, Matter, Exor, and Corner Ventures.
Q.ai operated largely in stealth mode with no publicly launched products, though its website indicated the company was developing audio-related technology. The startup maintained a team of fewer than 10 employees at its headquarters on HaYetsira Street in Ramat Gan before the acquisition.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, called Q.ai “an exceptional company that is leading the way in innovative and inventive uses of imaging and machine learning” in a statement to Reuters. Maizels said joining Apple would open “extraordinary possibilities to push boundaries and unlock the full potential of our innovations” and bring the technology to users worldwide.
Apple’s Second-Largest Acquisition Amid Strong iPhone Quarter
The roughly $2 billion purchase price makes the Q.ai deal Apple’s second-largest acquisition in company history, trailing only the $3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics in 2014. Apple historically has pursued smaller, strategic acquisitions of specialized technology companies rather than large platform purchases, typically integrating acquired teams and technologies into existing product roadmaps without disclosing financial terms.
The acquisition was announced hours before Apple reported fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, with total revenue reaching $143.8 billion, up 16 percent year-over-year. iPhone revenue hit an all-time high of approximately $85.3 billion, up 23 percent from the prior year, driven by strong global demand including 38 percent growth in Greater China.
Apple has been racing to match AI capabilities rolled out by competitors including Meta’s smart glasses partnerships and Google’s integration of Gemini AI across hardware. The company faces pressure to demonstrate that its substantial AI investments—including the Apple Intelligence features introduced across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS last year—can drive continued hardware sales growth in a maturing smartphone market.
Technology Could Enable Hands-Free, Voice-Free Interaction
The facial micromovement detection technology described in Q.ai’s patents could allow users to issue commands to devices through lip movements alone, without producing audible sound—a capability that would enable private interaction in public spaces, meetings, or quiet environments where speaking aloud is impractical. Combined with audio input, the system could also improve noise cancellation by better distinguishing human speech from ambient sound, potentially enhancing call quality on iPhones and AirPods performance in noisy settings.
For the Vision Pro headset, the technology could enable more natural spatial computing interactions by allowing users to control the interface through subtle facial gestures rather than hand tracking or voice commands. Patent documents describe systems that can create virtual representations of a user’s face that mimic facial expressions in real-time based on detected micromovements, which could enhance avatar systems for video calls or virtual meetings.
The optical sensor approach would require integration into wearable hardware positioned near the face—potentially AirPods positioned near the ears and cheeks, Vision Pro’s existing sensor array, or future products such as rumored smart glasses that have been the subject of industry speculation. Apple has not disclosed specific product plans for Q.ai’s technology or timeline for integration into shipping devices.
