Apple acquires Israel's PrimeSense in a $350 million deal

Published November 25, 2013
The Apple logo is shown on the front of the company's flagship retail store in San Francisco, California January 23, 2013. Apple results are due after market closes around worries about the profit potential in the tech sector, increased amid questions about waning demand for Apple Inc products and a weak outlook from Intel Corp last week. — Reuters Photo
The Apple logo is shown on the front of the company's flagship retail store in San Francisco, California January 23, 2013. Apple results are due after market closes around worries about the profit potential in the tech sector, increased amid questions about waning demand for Apple Inc products and a weak outlook from Intel Corp last week. — Reuters Photo

Apple Inc agreed to buy Israel-based PrimeSense Ltd, a developer of chips that enable three-dimensional machine vision, for about $350 million, Bloomberg reported on Sunday citing a source.

PrimeSense's sensing technology, which gives digital devices the ability to observe a scene in three dimensions, was used to help power Microsoft's Xbox Kinect.

Apple's interest in PrimeSense was first reported in July by the Israel-based Calacist news website.

"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," a company spokeswoman Kristin Huguet told Reuters via email.

PrimeSense could not be immediately reached for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

The PrimeSense deal makes it Apple's second purchase of an Israeli company. It bought flash storage chip maker Anobit in January 2012.

PrimeSense's investors include Canaan Partners, Silver Lake, Gemini Israel Funds and Genesis Partners, Bloomberg reported.

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