SA国际传媒

Apple is hungry, again.

The Cupertino giant just acquired, a machine learning startup that helps deliver user-specific content, . The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it鈥檚 that the Laserlike acquisition will be used to bolster Siri capabilities.

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Laserlike was started by three ex-Googlers, Steven Baker, Anand Shukla, and Srinivasan Venkatachary. Mountain View-based Laserlike says on that it will 鈥渄eliver high quality information and diverse perspectives鈥� to its users through its artificial intelligence-powered web search.

Apple buying a small company is no surprise – according to SA国际传媒 data Apple has 106 companies over its lifetime. In 2018 alone, it acquired seven.

In 2019, Apple鈥檚 appetite continues to grow. Only three months into the year, it has already acquired three companies: PullString, DataTiger, and now Laserlike. Our EIC Alex Wilhelm wrote about the two previous acquisitions here).

While DataTiger focuses on digital marketing, PullString works with artificial intelligence and will help with 鈥淪iri, HomePod and voice strategy.鈥�

Apple did not immediately respond to SA国际传媒 News鈥� request regarding the new acquisition. However, I鈥檓 guessing deal dynamics moved pretty fast: In May 2018, Laserlike鈥檚 Venkatachary : 鈥淎pple is promoting us today as App of the day! Pretty thrilled. Check out our app and send us feedback.鈥�

Fast forward 45 weeks, and it鈥檚 clear that Apple鈥檚 enthusiasm has transitioned from vocal support to hard investment. Not bad.

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