OpenAI reportedly acquired smartphone camera startup Glass Imaging in a deal valued at more than USD 300 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report said the transaction was completed quietly in recent months.
Glass Imaging was founded in 2019 by Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, two former Apple employees who worked on camera technology there. Their work included contributions to Apple’s Portrait mode.
Glass Imaging developed technology that combines advanced camera hardware with software and artificial intelligence to improve smartphone image quality. Its systems were designed to produce photography that could rival DSLR results. The startup also developed zoom-imaging technology that is used in smartphones made by Chinese manufacturer Honor. Its approach sought to improve camera performance without relying only on adding more camera hardware to phones.
In a 2022 interview with Computer Vision News, the founders described smartphone camera innovation as ‘incremental’ and highlighted the challenges involved in adding more cameras to mobile devices. The reported acquisition marks another step in OpenAI’s expansion beyond ChatGPT. The company increased its focus on consumer products as it builds a broader business around artificial intelligence.
OpenAI’s specific plans for Glass Imaging are not disclosed. The acquisition could strengthen its capabilities in camera technology as the company explores new consumer hardware. OpenAI is also working with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on a secretive consumer device. Ive joined OpenAI in 2025 through the company’s USD 6.5 billion acquisition of his hardware startup, io Products. The Glass Imaging deal is part of a broader acquisition strategy. OpenAI recently acquired TBPN, an internet talk show, along with an open-source developer tools startup.
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