Categories: Tech & Society

Apple Acquires Indoor Location Company WiFiSLAM for $20 Million

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has acquired indoor location company WifiSLAM for a huge $20 million. Apple has confirmed the purchase, but declined to offer any details on its plans for the acquisition.

An Apple spokesman confirmed the deal saying the company “buys smaller technology companies from time to time” and generally doesn’t discuss its plans. He declined to comment further. WifiSLAM could not immediately be reached for comment.

The two-year-old startup has developed ways for mobile apps to detect a phone user’s location in a building using Wi-Fi signals. It has been offering the technology to application developers for indoor mapping and new types of retail and social networking apps. The company has a handful of employees, and its co-founders include former Google software engineering intern Joseph Huang.

Apple has been trying to take on Google and this move brings in more arsenal to Apple. Apple has acquired smaller startups with location expertise like  Placebase, Poly9, and C3 Technologies. With its purchase of WifiSLAM, Apple seems to be adding a new focus on indoor location tracking.

WiFiSLAM is a two year old startup that has developed ways for mobile apps to detect a phone user’s location in a building using Wi-Fi signals. It has been offering the technology to application developers for indoor mapping and new types of retail and social networking apps. The company has a handful of employees, and its co-founders include former Google software engineering intern Joseph Huang.

Team TechPanda

Recent Posts

Disrupting Fintech: How product studios are transforming financial services

In the rapidly evolving financial technology landscape, innovative product studios are emerging as powerful catalysts…

9 hours ago

Harnessing the power of AI: Preparing today’s workforce for tomorrow’s challenges

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a transformative…

10 hours ago

Indian esports makes history at BRICS Esports Championship in Moscow

In a historic moment for Indian esports, Wasfi “YoshiKiller” Bilal secured a silver medal at…

1 day ago

Geek Appeal: New gadgets & apps on the block

The Tech Panda takes a look at recently launched gadgets & apps in the market.…

1 day ago

Ecosystem harkat: India’s Biotech & space tech, early stage tech startups & women entrepreneurs in blockchain

The Tech Panda takes a look at what’s buzzing in the startup ecosystem. The startup…

1 day ago

Harris vs. Trump: Forecasting Bitcoin’s Future in a Post-Election Economy

With just days until the outcome of the U.S. presidential race, Bitcoin enthusiasts across the…

2 days ago