OpenAI has acquired smartphone camera technology company Glass Imaging in a deal valued at more than $300 million, according to a report. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Los Altos, California, Glass Imaging had previously raised around $30 million from investors.
Glass Imaging was founded by Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, two former Apple engineers who previously led the team responsible for developing Apple’s Portrait Mode. Consequently, their experience at Apple has shaped Glass Imaging’s approach to improving smartphone photography through artificial intelligence.
Instead of relying on AI to edit photographs after users capture them, Glass Imaging applies neural networks to understand individual camera systems. The technology analyses the characteristics of different cameras used across smartphone models and aims to produce higher-quality images at the moment users press the shutter.
Meanwhile, the acquisition comes as OpenAI reportedly explores opportunities in consumer hardware. The ChatGPT maker has been linked to potential products, including smartphones, earbuds, and AI companion devices, although the company has not confirmed these plans.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported acquisition.
In 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and renowned Apple designer Jony Ive disclosed their collaboration on a new device startup called io. OpenAI subsequently acquired Ive’s company for $6.5 billion, further strengthening its focus on hardware and product design.
With Glass Imaging’s camera expertise and its founders’ previous experience developing Apple’s Portrait Mode, the acquisition could potentially strengthen OpenAI’s capabilities in AI-powered imaging and future consumer hardware.
