Apple confirmed the acquisition of Q.ai in January 2026.
The deal was reported by the Financial Times at close to $2 billion, making it the second-largest in Apple’s history. Q.ai was founded in 2022, raised just $24.5 million in venture funding from Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, and went almost entirely dark after launch. Its website contains one line: “In a world full of noise, we craft a new kind of quiet.”
The technology reads facial skin micro-movements using small optical cameras designed to sit inside AirPods or glasses. No sound required. The system translates jaw, lip, and throat contractions into words. Patents filed by Q.ai describe health monitoring capabilities as well, including heart rate and respiration.
Q.ai‘s CEO Aviad Maizels founded PrimeSense, which Apple also acquired, in 2013. That technology became the foundation for Face ID. It now ships in every iPhone sold.
Apple has not disclosed what products Q.ai‘s technology will appear in first. The expected window is 2027.
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