Apple discloses deal to hire team and license tech from personalized podcast startup Huxe
Is Apple hoping to get into the AI-generated podcast business?
TL;DR
- Apple is acquiring talent and technology from Huxe, a personalized audio startup, in a reverse acqui-hire deal.
- Huxe, founded by developers who worked on AI-generated podcast features, announced its shutdown on May 21.
- Apple notified the European Commission of the deal on June 9.
- Reverse acqui-hires allow larger companies to hire key personnel and license tech from startups without a full acquisition, potentially reducing antitrust scrutiny.
- The filing does not confirm which employees received offers or if they accepted, nor does it detail Apple's plans.
- The deal comes shortly after Spotify unveiled its own AI-powered podcast generation features, suggesting Apple may aim to enhance its Podcasts app with similar functionality.