Update: Apple confirmed the purchase with its usual boilerplate statement to TechCrunch: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple has acquired LuxVue Technology, a company that develops low-power, microLED-based display technology for consumer tech products, according to a report from TechCrunch.
Apple has not yet confirmed the purchase, but TechCrunch adds that it’s “heard Apple acquired the company to add to their hardware innovations area.”
LuxVue had managed to remain fairly quiet over the past few years, and what we know is that the company develops low-power, micro-LED-based displays for consumer electronics. We’ve heard Apple acquired the company to add to their hardware innovations area.
LuxVue Technology, previously known as Papierlos Corporation, was founded in 2009 and has been in the news a few times throughout raising $43 million in funding from Kleiner Perkins and others, but has for the most part remained quiet while developing its next-generation micro-LED technology. The company hasn’t shared many details about what it’s working on, but it has a number of patents for its low-power micro-LED technology that could potentially offer better battery life while retaining screen brightness compared to traditional display technologies.
We’ve reached out to Apple for comment about the acquisition but have not heard back.