Apple bolsters continuing machine learning efforts with Tuplejump acquisition

Eddy Cue, Tom Gruber, Alex Acero, Craig Federighi

Apple is continuing to add to its team of machine learning experts in Cupertino. TechCrunch reports that Apple has acquired Tuplejump, which describes itself as a service that “presents all your data in a familiar format” on their now-removed website. An Apple spokesperson gave TC the usual non-denial confirmation regarding the acquisition:

Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.

The report notes that Tuplejump is based in part in India as well as the United States and doesn’t disclose the terms of the acquisition. It does include this, however:

We’re hearing that Apple was particularly interested in “FiloDB”, an opensource project that Tuplejump was building to efficiently apply machine learning concepts and analytics to massive amounts of complex data right as it streamed in.

While machine learning hasn’t been in Apple’s public vocabulary much until recently, several key Apple execs including Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi recently did a lengthy interview with Backchannel discussing Apple’s approach to machine learning with its products.

Apple has also been adding to its portfolio several artificial intelligence and machine learning experts through M&A: Perceptio, VocalIQ, Mapsense, Emotient, Coherent Navigation, Semetric, and Turi just to name a few.

Last month 9to5Mac reported that Apple was using its Turi acquisition to organize a team of go-to machine learning experts within the company that other groups could rely on.

Apple currently uses machine learning throughout its products for features like palm rejection with the Apple Pencil and various intelligence features in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.

Image via Backchannel