Latest news with #WhyLabs
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Was Jeff Bezos-Backed WhyLabs Secretly Acquired By Apple After $10M Series A To Compete In AI Arms Race Against Google, OpenAI, And Microsoft?
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has reportedly secretly completed the stealth acquisition of WhyLabs, a Seattle-based AI startup focused on real-time monitoring and security for artificial intelligence applications, GeekWire says. Founded in 2019, WhyLabs was spun out of the Allen Institute for AI and gained traction with its observability platform, which was recently upgraded for real-time security monitoring of generative AI applications. GeekWire says that while no official announcement has been made, multiple signals across the web suggest the deal has closed. Don't Miss:Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. According to GeekWire, Perry Wu, former general partner at AI Fund, lists the company on his LinkedIn profile as 'Acq by Apple.' Meanwhile, AI Fund itself, co-founded by Coursera's Andrew Ng, quietly updated WhyLabs' portfolio entry to read 'was acquired in 2025.' Executives from both Apple and WhyLabs have yet to confirm the deal, but GeekWire says the clues continue to stack up. WhyLabs was founded by a powerhouse team of AI experts. CEO Alessya Visnjic, an eight-year veteran at Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), co-founded the company with Andy Dang and Sam Gracie, both former Amazon engineers, as well as Maria Karaivanova, previously an executive at Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) and a principal at Madrona Venture Group, GeekWire says. The startup gained early attention following its $10 million Series A round in 2021, co-led by Andrew Ng's AI Fund and Defy Partners. Other investors included Bezos Expeditions, the personal venture arm of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, along with Seattle's Ascend and Madrona Venture Group. That round valued the company at $37 million, according to PitchBook data cited by GeekWire. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . WhyLabs quickly carved out a niche as one of the few AI infrastructure startups focused on observability, a field that has become critical as companies race to deploy generative AI tools without exposing themselves to security risks or compliance failures. In April last year, WhyLabs announced it launched an upgraded version of its platform with real-time monitoring features tailored for large language models. According to GeekWire, the startup earned recognition as one of the top privately held companies in the Pacific Northwest, ranking No. 81 on the GeekWire 200 and being named a finalist for Startup of the Year at the 2023 GeekWire Awards. Apple has steadily expanded its presence in Seattle, making the city a quiet hub for its enterprise software and AI ambitions. GeekWire reports that over the past decade, the company has acquired several AI startups in the region, including Turi in 2016, Union Bay Networks in 2014, and in fits into a similar mold. With Apple announcing investments in on-device AI features, including updates rumored for the next iteration of iOS and Siri, acquiring a startup that specializes in secure, explainable AI is a move that aligns with Apple's push for secure, on-device AI. According to GeekWire, earlier this year, Apple leased more office space in downtown Seattle, signaling continued investment in the region's deep engineering talent. As the race to build more private, efficient AI accelerates, WhyLabs' technology could play a central role in Apple's push to close the perceived innovation gap with OpenAI, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Google. Read Next: Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? . Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Was Jeff Bezos-Backed WhyLabs Secretly Acquired By Apple After $10M Series A To Compete In AI Arms Race Against Google, OpenAI, And Microsoft? originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Geek Wire
23-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Did Apple just buy another Seattle startup? Clues point to secretive acquisition
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Apple's office near downtown Seattle. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop) Apple appears to have made another stealthy startup acquisition in Seattle. We're hearing that the tech giant is acquiring WhyLabs, a Seattle startup founded in 2019 that helps companies observe their AI apps to prevent security risks and optimize performance. The deal hasn't been announced publicly. Investors aren't commenting. Apple and WhyLabs execs haven't responded to our messages. There are a few clues online. AI Fund, a Palo Alto venture capital firm that co-led WhyLabs' Series A round in 2021, notes on its portfolio page that the company 'was acquired in 2025.' Perry Wu, a former general partner at AI Fund, lists WhyLabs on his LinkedIn page as 'ACQ BY APPLE.' It would mark the latest Seattle acquisition for Apple, which has swooped up a group of Emerald City enterprise software startups. The company previously paid $200 million in 2020 to acquire Xnor, a Seattle startup that specialized in edge-based AI tools. Apple also acquired Seattle-based machine learning startup Turi in 2016 and Union Bay Networks in 2014. Apple has invested heavily in AI, including efforts to build on-device AI capabilities. But analysts say the company has fallen behind competitors. 'What's notable about artificial intelligence is that Apple has devoted considerable resources to the technology and has little to show for it,' Bloomberg reported earlier this week. The Cupertino company earlier this year inked a big lease for more office space near downtown Seattle. It's one of more than 100 tech companies with satellite engineering hubs in the Seattle region, tapping into the area's robust tech talent pool. WhyLabs CEO Alessya Visnjic. (WhyLabs Photo) WhyLabs spun out of Seattle's Allen Institute for AI, the Seattle-based research institution that also housed Xnor. It was valued at $37 million following a $10 million Series A round in 2021, according to PitchBook. It's one of many AI observability tools riding tailwinds from the rapid adoption of AI software and the associated infrastructure needs. Last year WhyLabs rolled out a 'new iteration' of the company's platform designed for real-time security monitoring of generative AI apps. WhyLabs CEO Alessya Visnjic previously spent eight years at Amazon helping develop its machine learning infrastructure. She co-founded WhyLabs with Andy Dang and Sam Gracie, also former Amazon employees. Co-founder Maria Karaivanova was a former Cloudflare executive and principal at Madrona. AI Fund, helmed by Coursera co-founder and chair Andrew Ng, co-led the Series A round with Defy Partners, another Silicon Valley firm. Other backers include Bezos Expeditions, the venture arm of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, along with Seattle firms Madrona and Ascend. WhyLabs is ranked No. 81 on the GeekWire 200, our list of top privately held startups in the Pacific Northwest. It was a finalist for Startup of the Year at the GeekWire Awards in 2023. We'll update this post if we hear more about the deal.
