OpenAI to Acquire Glass Imaging for Over $300 Million

OpenAI is set to acquire Glass Imaging for over $300 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. This California-based company, founded in 2019 by two former Apple employees, develops imaging algorithms integrated into smartphone cameras. The deal comes as reports emerge of hardware projects branded by OpenAI, and a previous acquisition related to Jony Ive is mentioned.

Reported Hardware Projects and Previous Ties to Jony Ive

The creator of ChatGPT is reportedly working on its own hardware, including smartphones, headphones, and AI companion devices. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2025, Sam Altman and designer Jony Ive revealed they had collaborated on a device startup called io, and OpenAI acquired Ive's company for $6.5 billion.

Agreement of Over $300 Million Reported by the Wall Street Journal

OpenAI has purchased Glass Imaging as part of a deal exceeding $300 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Glass Imaging, founded in 2019, is headquartered in Los Altos, California. Previously, the company had raised approximately $30 million in funding from investors.

What Glass Imaging Can Do on Mobile

The creation of Glass Imaging is credited to Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, two former Apple engineers who led the team responsible for developing Portrait Mode at Apple. Their experience at Apple influences the work they are doing today at Glass Imaging. The company utilizes artificial intelligence to overcome the limitations posed by the physical size of smartphone cameras. It employs neural networks capable of learning from each camera system to generate better images at the moment the shutter is pressed, rather than using AI to retouch an image after it has been captured.