Apple in Talks to Acquire PrismML, Startup That Shrinks AI Models to Run on iPhone

Apple is in exploratory talks to acquire PrismML, a Caltech spinout that uses ultra-low-bit compression to shrink large AI models by up to 14x, enabling them to run natively on iPhones. The startup, which raised $16.25 million in seed funding led by Khosla Ventures, demonstrated its technology by compressing Alibaba's Qwen 3.6 model to under 4 GB. No deal terms have been disclosed.

Apple is in discussions with PrismML, a Caltech spinout that uses ultra-low-bit compression to shrink large AI models by up to 14x, enabling them to run natively on iPhones. PrismML raised $16.25 million in seed funding led by Khosla Ventures and demonstrated its technology by compressing Alibaba's Qwen 3.6 model to under 4 GB. The talks are described as exploratory, with no deal terms disclosed.