Apple acquires Canadian startup DarwinAI, which develops AI technologies

Apple Inc. has acquired Canadian startup DarwinAI, which develops artificial intelligence technologies. The deal has not been publicly announced yet, Bloomberg reports.

The iPhone manufacturer acquired the Canadian business earlier this year. According to informed sources, dozens of DarwinAI employees have since joined Apple’s AI division.

DarwinAI has developed AI technology for visual inspection of components during the manufacturing process and serves customers in various industries.

But one of her main tasks at the startup is to create smaller and faster AI systems. This work can be useful for Apple, which focuses on AI on devices.

DarwinAI is based in Ontario. According to Communitech, as of 2022, the startup has raised more than $15 million. It has received investments from firms including Honeywell Ventures and Inovia Capital. The startup has also collaborated with companies such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and Intel Corp.

Earlier, it was reported about Apple’s intentions to launch an AI-based tool for coding in Xcode. The tool is expected to work similarly to Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot. It will be able to complete lines and blocks of code based on the first parts of the code that the developer enters.