Apple completed 29 acquisitions in past nine months, not including Beats

Posted:
in General Discussion edited July 2014
It was revealed during Apple's quarterly conference call on Tuesday that the company has made 29 acquisitions since the fiscal year began nine months prior, though many of purchases remain undisclosed.

Beats headphones and an Apple iPhone. Photo by M.J. Rodriguez


Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple bought 29 companies since its fiscal 2014 began last year. The chief executive did not elaborate on specific businesses, though Apple is known to have purchased Beats Electronics, micro-LED maker LuxVue and social search startup Spotsetter.

Also unknown are the prices Apple paid for the 29 acquisitions, though the Beats buy, expected to close by the end of the quarter, was the most expensive in company history at $3 billion.

As for Beats, Cook said the purchase brought on "a very rare set of talent that we think can do great things at Apple and a very fast growing business in their earphone and headphone space."

Other 2014 buys included developer SnappyLabs, TestFlight maker Burstly and note taking mobile app developer Catch.

In the navigation segment, Apple picked up BroadMap, transit data firm Embark, HopStop, Locationary and "indoor GPS" firm WiFiSlam.

Apple also snapped up 3D sensor company PrimeSense and voice recognition tech company Novauris.

Cook reiterated that Apple has the capacity to make strategic buys, but does not let money burn a hole in its pocket. The executive said acquistions are well thought out, with companies chosen on their ability to help Apple make great products.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    [SIZE=3]To illustrate how [I]little[/I] we know about Apple's long game in strategic acquisitions, the following list shows that the best minds have only uncovered about [I]a third[/I] of the chess moves Apple has made in the last 9 months. . .

    29 acquisitions - not counting Beats.

    1. LuxVue, micro-LED maker
    2. Spotsetter, social search startup
    3. SnappyLabs, developer
    4. Burstly, TestFlight maker
    5. Catch, note taking mobile app developer
    6. BroadMap, navigation
    7. Embark, transit data firm
    8. HopStop,
    9. Locationary,
    10. WiFiSlam, indoor GPS
    11. PrimeSense, 3D sensor company
    12. Novauris, voice recognition tech company
    13. UNK
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    [/SIZE]
  • Reply 2 of 11
    Maybe Apple only purchased Beats to distract us from all the other acquisitions. ;)
    -jks
  • Reply 3 of 11
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post

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    I hate music today. Are all good percussionists dead?

  • Reply 4 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    I hate music today. Are all good percussionists dead?

    Ginger Baker is still kicking. Based on his past perhaps literally.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    To illustrate how little we know about Apple's long game in strategic acquisitions, the following list shows that the best minds have only uncovered about a third of the chess moves Apple has made in the last 9 months. . .

    29 acquisitions - not counting Beats.

    1. LuxVue, micro-LED maker
    2. Spotsetter, social search startup
    3. SnappyLabs, developer
    4. Burstly, TestFlight maker
    5. Catch, note taking mobile app developer
    6. BroadMap, navigation
    7. Embark, transit data firm
    8. HopStop,
    9. Locationary,
    10. WiFiSlam, indoor GPS
    11. PrimeSense, 3D sensor company
    12. Novauris, voice recognition tech company
    13. UNK
    14. UNK
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    Indeed, difficult to find them all! I think these can be added:

    13. Cue (Personal assistant)
    14. Topsy (Analytics)
    15. TestFlight (Feb 21, 2014)

    I think these were acquired more than 9 months ago, so wouldn't count:
    Passif Semiconductor Corp (Aug 1, 2013)
    Embark Inc (Aug 22, 2013, so dito)
    AlgoTrim AB (Aug 28, 2013, so dito)




    Strolledment
    Trollstment: "If you can't beat them, buy them"

    M&A in the picture:
    1000

    http://metrics.infolinks.com/2014/02/17/tech-mergers-acquisitions-2013/
  • Reply 6 of 11
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Quote:






    Strolledment

    Trollstment: "If you can't beat them, buy them"



     

     I do not believe that is Apple Strategy, nor is the M&A strategy to buy company to keep growth going and Wall Street happy. They do M&A for all the right reasons which to make a better product. Now Beats does not seem to follow into any of these, but we have to way a while to see how it plays out.

  • Reply 7 of 11
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    maestro64 wrote: »
    Strolledment

    Trollstment: "If you can't beat them, buy them"


     
     I do not believe that is Apple Strategy, nor is the M&A strategy to buy company to keep growth going and Wall Street happy. They do M&A for all the right reasons which to make a better product. Now Beats does not seem to follow into any of these, but we have to way a while to see how it plays out.

    I agree. I merely posted that because I read it somewhere and thought it was a bit of a trolling statement.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    Apple sees a company that is doing something it wants and buys it. Apple gets the product,the skills of the staff and probably more importantly nowadays the IP. The skill they have is going for the smaller companies which they can buy under the radar and thus not overpay. Beats being the exception that's proving the rule
  • Reply 9 of 11
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member
    What's Beats? :no:

    (I was in the Apple Store last weekend checking out Bluetooth speakers and never was recommend the Pill. Apple employee laughed at the suggestion that he might have too eventually.)
  • Reply 10 of 11
    georgeip5georgeip5 Posts: 225member
    I think their probably mostly Heath related, some other things to do with Sapphire and others
  • Reply 11 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pazuzu View Post



    What's Beats? image



    (I was in the Apple Store last weekend checking out Bluetooth speakers and never was recommend the Pill. Apple employee laughed at the suggestion that he might have too eventually.)

     

    I'm surprised that Apple are giving out the Pill, but they seem to be getting into health; haven't seen it in a UK store, yet.

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