Apple has discussed internally the acquisition of the artificial intelligence (AI) startups MistralAI and PerplexityAI, according to a report by the IT specialized media The Information on the 26th (local time).
Analysis suggests that Apple's recent consideration of acquiring AI startups, which are gaining attention in the global IT industry, is due to a lack of its own technology. Previously, in June, Bloomberg News reported that Apple was internally reviewing the acquisition of Perplexity. However, there are also reports that Apple feels burdened by the enormous capital needed for the acquisition of these AI startups.
Perplexity provides an AI search service that answers user questions using web-based information. Last year, it raised investment, and its corporate value was estimated at $18 billion (approximately 25 trillion won).
Mistral was valued at €6 billion (approximately 10 trillion won) during its fundraising process last year, after being established in 2023. It is gaining attention as a European alternative to America's OpenAI and Anthropic.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated during a conference call with investors following last month's earnings announcement that the company is "open to mergers and acquisitions (M&A)" to accelerate Apple's roadmap.