Some of the startup’s staff have moved to the tech giant’s AI unit after DarwinAI was acquired earlier this year, sources told Bloomberg. DarwinAI co-founder Alexander Wong has joined Apple as director of machine learning research, according to his LinkedIn profile. DarwinAI declined to comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Bloomberg, The Logic)

Talking point: Founded in 2017, DarwinAI started with “core problems related to machine learning and deep learning,” CEO Sheldon Fernandez told The Logic in December 2022. While it later branched into systems for detecting defects on manufacturing lines, its first product was a developers’ toolkit for building AI models. The firm raised US$15.8 million in total, per PitchBook, including a US$6-million round led by the BDC Deep Tech Venture Fund. Apple is the latest tech giant to reorient around generative AI, dropping its autonomous vehicle project to focus on foundational models. The company runs a quiet acquisition strategy, mostly buying for talent. DarwinAI isn’t its first AI deal in Waterloo, Ont.—in 2020, Apple bought Inductiv to bolster its Siri voice assistant.