Apple disclosed in a regulatory filing that it has reached an agreement to bring on team members and technology from personalized audio startup Huxe. The arrangement is known as a reverse acqui-hire deal. MacRumors first reported the disclosure.
Apple informed the European Commission that it agreed to make employment offers to certain employees of Huxe AI. The company also agreed to receive a non-exclusive license to Huxe intellectual property rights. Reverse acqui-hires emerged in recent years as a way for larger companies to hire key team members and license technology from startups without buying them outright.
Founders previously worked on NotebookLM
Huxe was founded by developers who previously worked on the AI-generated podcast features in NotebookLM. Google recently renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. Huxe announced on May 21 that it was shutting down. The team posted on the Huxe website that the company would remove its app from the Apple and Google stores, halt service, and delete user data.
The company stated that the team was moving on to new things and would not continue product development. Apple notified the European Commission of its deal on June 9, shortly after the shutdown announcement. The filing does not state who received employment offers or whether they accepted. The filing also does not disclose anything about Apple plans.
Spotify unveiled AI podcast features recently
Huxe announced its shutdown just a day after Spotify unveiled AI-powered podcast generation features of its own. Apple could be hoping to add similar functionality to its Podcasts app. Tech executives appear interested in the idea that personalized audio can replace regular podcasts, though it remains unclear how many normal listeners agree.
Apple will proceed according to the terms of its regulatory disclosures and employment offers.
