Apple acquires Kuzu: Details of the acquisition Apfelpatient

Apple is continuing its strategy of selectively acquiring technology companies. At the end of January, Apple confirmed the acquisition of the AI startup Q.ai for approximately $2 billion. It has now also been revealed that the database company Kuzu has been acquired. This information comes, among other sources, from an official overview by the European Union, which lists reported acquisitions of so-called "gatekeeper" companies.

Apple traditionally remains very reserved about smaller acquisitions. Transactions are often neither actively announced nor commented on. Instead, the websites and social media presence of the acquired companies disappear shortly after a deal is finalized.

This exact pattern can also be observed with Kuzu. Shortly afterward, Kuzu deleted the majority of its online presence. The acquisition itself took place in October. The amount Apple paid for Kuzu is unknown. However, it is assumed to have been a relatively small deal. Nevertheless, the acquisition was large enough to be officially reported under European regulations.

Kuzu: Embedded graph database for fast queries

According to Kuzu's LinkedIn description, it is an "embedded graph database designed for query speed, scalability, and ease of use".

Graph databases are specialized in efficiently representing and evaluating complex relationships between data points. They are frequently used in areas such as network analysis, recommendation systems, and AI applications.

Apple already has its own cross-platform relational database system called FileMaker, operated by Apple subsidiary Claris. With the acquisition of Kuzu, Apple expands its existing database portfolio to include a specialized graph database technology. Apple has not yet disclosed its specific plans for Kuzu.

Digital Markets Act: Why the EU is listing the acquisition

The acquisition of Kuzu is listed on an official European Union website. This is based on the Digital Markets Act.

Under this law, large platform companies classified as "gatekeepers" are required to report certain acquisitions to the EU. The aim is to create transparency regarding the acquisition activities of large technology companies.

The relevant EU website lists all reported acquisitions centrally, thus offering a rare overview of Apple's acquisition policy.

New entries are not published there immediately. According to a note on the page, acquisitions are added no sooner than four months after the information is received. It is also likely that Apple has made other acquisitions that are not listed here.

Overview: All reported Apple acquisitions in 2025

According to the EU overview, the following qualified acquisitions of Apple are listed for the year 2025:

January 3 – Pointable: Pointable develops natural language retrieval systems for businesses, enabling the creation of customized applications for large language models.
January 24 – TrueMeeting: TrueMeeting is working on digital avatar technology.
January 24 – WhyLabs: WhyLabs develops and operates tools for monitoring and analyzing machine learning models and data pipelines.
February 11 – Pixelmator: Pixelmator offers image editing and design software for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro.
May 28 – IC Mask Design: IC Mask Design provides physical layout design services for analog integrated circuits and offers related training.
August 19 – Styra: Styra develops and licenses authorization software for cloud-native environments.
October 10 – Kuzu: Kuzu develops lightweight embedded database technologies.

This list makes it clear that in 2025 Apple primarily invested in AI, cloud infrastructure, software development, chip design and data management.

Q.ai: Billion-dollar acquisition in the AI sector

In addition to the transactions mentioned above, Apple confirmed the acquisition of the AI startup Q.ai for around 2 billion US dollars at the end of January.

Details regarding the integration or specific Q.ai products have not yet been released. However, the high purchase price indicates that Apple is significantly expanding its activities in the field of artificial intelligence.

Apple is making targeted investments in AI, cloud computing, and chip design

The acquisition of Kuzu is the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions by Apple. Alongside the multi-billion dollar acquisition of Q.ai, the EU overview also shows that Apple is specifically acquiring technologies in the areas of AI, data analytics, cloud computing, design software, and semiconductor development.

Even though not all the details are publicly known, a clear picture emerges: Apple is systematically expanding its technological base through targeted acquisitions – often quietly, but consistently. (Image: felixtm / DepositPhotos.com)