OpenAI buys smartphone camera startup Glass Imaging for over $300M, WSJ reports
- Deal value
- $300M
- Place in VP50
- #2
- Sources
- 2
- Claims verified
- 5 of 5
What happened
On 14 September 2026 TechCrunch reported that OpenAI had bought Glass Imaging, a smartphone camera company, in a deal worth over $300 million. TechCrunch attributed the figure to a report by The Wall Street Journal. It said OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it carried no statement from Glass Imaging or its founders.
According to TechCrunch, Glass Imaging was founded in 2019, is based in Los Altos, California, and had previously raised about $30 million from investors. Its founders, Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, are former Apple engineers who previously led the team that developed Apple's Portrait Mode. The company uses AI to work around the physical size limits of smartphone cameras, with neural networks that learn about individual camera systems to produce better images at capture time. TechCrunch also noted that OpenAI is rumored to be developing its own hardware, including smartphones, earbuds and AI companion devices, and recalled that OpenAI bought Jony Ive's company for $6.5 billion in 2025.
Key points
- TechCrunch reported on 14 September 2026, citing the WSJ, that OpenAI bought Glass Imaging in a deal worth over $300 million.12
- OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, TechCrunch said.1
- Glass Imaging, founded in 2019 in Los Altos, California, had previously raised about $30 million.1
- Founders Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop are former Apple engineers who led the team behind Portrait Mode.1
Why it matters
The reported price of over $300 million compares with the roughly $30 million Glass Imaging had previously raised, as TechCrunch states both figures. The sources do not say how the price was split among investors and employees.
The price comes from a press report, not a company statement, and the sources give no form of payment or closing date. The deal value therefore has no company confirmation.
Glass Imaging's neural-network imaging approach and ex-Apple founders add camera capability, which TechCrunch set beside reports of OpenAI hardware work.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding round | Oct 2, 2024 | $157B | $6.6B | Thrive Capital |
| Funding round | Mar 31, 2025 | $300B | $40B | SoftBank |
| Funding round | Feb 27, 2026 | $852B | $122B | a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, SoftBank, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and TPG |
Updated
Fact-check
- TechCrunch reported on 14 September 2026, citing The Wall Street Journal, that OpenAI bought Glass Imaging in a deal worth over $300 million.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, which reports the deal as worth over $300 million, citing the WSJ. [2] The Wall Street Journal could not be fetched; the claim is framed as TechCrunch's report.Verified
- OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, which states this.Verified
- Glass Imaging was founded in 2019, is based in Los Altos, California, and had previously raised about $30 million.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch: the article gives the founding year, location and the roughly $30 million raised.Verified
- Founders Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop are former Apple engineers who led the team that developed Portrait Mode.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch: the article names both founders and their Apple background.Verified
- OpenAI bought Jony Ive's company for $6.5 billion in 2025.Confirmed by [1] TechCrunch, which recalls the 2025 purchase as background to the story.Verified
Sources
- [1]TechCrunch (opens in a new tab)OpenAI buys smartphone camera maker Glass Imaging for $300 million, report says
- [2]The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)OpenAI Buys Startup Developing Smartphone Camera
