Apple's doing more AI startup shopping than Google, Microsoft and others

In a move highlighting its

aggressive push

into

artificial intelligence

,

Apple

reportedly acquired over 30

AI startups

in 2023, exceeding the

acquisitions

of any other tech giant. This aggressive strategy puts Apple at the forefront of the AI race, potentially shaping the future of its products and services.
According to a Statista report, Apple bought "up to" 32 AI startups last year, compared to Google's 21, Meta's 18, and Microsoft's 17. These three companies have been making a big AI push whereas Apple has not really been as boisterous in terms of all the AI tech it has been working on.
“Apple’s pursuit of AI innovation has been evident in recent years. The tech giant has made a series of strategic acquisitions, including staff hires from AI startups to bolster its AI capabilities across various product line,” noted the report by Statista.
Notably, Apple seems to be focusing on early-stage startups, indicating a proactive approach to securing promising talents and technologies before they mature, stated the report.

In 2021, Apple CEO Tim Cook had revealed at the shareholders’ meeting that in the last six years, Apple had acquired close to 100 companies.
Apple also shies away from making big-ticket acquisitions. One of its biggest deal was when it acquired Beats, which brought Apple both the popular music streaming service and its renowned headphones, boosting their audio offerings. Shazam was another acquisition by Apple when the company paid $400 million. Apple also acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business for $1 billion. Apple acquired engineering talent and patents to develop their own 5G modems, reducing reliance on external suppliers.
Apple rarely makes big announcements when it acquires companies. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” the company said, according to a report by 9to5Mac.