OpenAI Accelerates Device Plan With AI Camera Tech Acquisition

OpenAI has bolstered its device strategy by acquiring Glass Imaging, a startup led by former Apple employees focused on AI-powered smartphone cameras, The Wall Street Journal reported on September 14, citing unnamed sources. Glass Imaging is developing AI technology that enhances smartphone camera quality to match that of DSLR cameras, according to the report.

The acquisition, which valued Glass Imaging at $300 million, marks a significant increase from the company's $100 million valuation following a $20 million Series A funding round in May 2025. Neither OpenAI nor Glass Imaging commented on the acquisition immediately, per the report.

Glass Imaging, founded in 2019 by Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, both former Apple employees, aims to refine and implement its proprietary GlassAI technologies across various camera platforms. The company's technology can correct optical aberrations, reduce sensor noise, and improve overall image quality, delivering fine texture and real image content recovery that surpasses traditional ISP pipelines, according to Attar and Bishop.

Their Series A funding followed a $9.3 million extended seed round and a $9.3 million seed round in 2021.

OpenAI's plans for Glass Imaging remain undisclosed, though the company has been developing a device alongside former Apple executive Jony Ive. This device is described as a portable smart speaker designed for easy portability and interaction within homes, equipped with a camera and sensors to inform AI about the environment. This new acquisition bolsters OpenAI's efforts to differentiate its smart speakers from those offered by Apple and Google.