OpenAI buys smartphone camera maker Glass Imaging for $300M
Recorded: Sept. 15, 2026, 2:57 p.m.
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In Brief Posted: Image Credits:YIN WENJIE / Getty Images Amanda Silberling OpenAI buys smartphone camera maker Glass Imaging for $300 million, report says OpenAI has bought smartphone camera maker Glass Imaging in a deal worth over $300 million, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The company, founded in 2019 and based in Los Altos, California, had previously raised about $30 million in funding from investors. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ChatGPT maker is rumored to be working on its own hardware, like smartphones, earbuds, and AI companion devices. Topics AI, Hardware, In Brief, Mergers and Acquisitions, OpenAI October 13 – 15 Last day to book an exhibit table is September 18. Don’t miss out on high-impact leads, investor access, and a brand spotlight in Disrupt’s Expo Hall. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News TechCrunch Mobility Startups Weekly StrictlyVC No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. Related
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OpenAI has acquired the smartphone camera maker Glass Imaging in a transaction valued at over three hundred million dollars, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Glass Imaging, established in 2019 and headquartered in Los Altos, California, previously secured approximately thirty million dollars in funding from investors. The founders of the company, Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, are notable for their background as former Apple engineers who were instrumental in developing Apple’s Portrait Mode, a background that directly informs Glass Imaging's technological focus. The company leverages artificial intelligence, specifically neural networks, to address the physical limitations inherent in smartphone camera systems. Instead of applying AI for post-capture image editing, Glass Imaging employs these neural networks to learn the specific characteristics of various camera systems, such as those across different smartphone models, with the objective of generating superior images immediately when the shutter is clicked. This acquisition occurs amidst broader developments concerning OpenAI, which is rumored to be engaged in developing its own hardware platforms, including smartphones, earbuds, and AI companion devices. The context of OpenAI's venture into hardware development is paralleled by previous high-value strategic moves, such as the purchase of Jony Ive’s company for six and a half billion dollars, following collaborative work on a device startup called io with Sam Altman. The integration of Glass Imaging into OpenAI suggests a strategic move to enhance the quality of AI-driven visual processing capabilities within their expanding ecosystem. |