Apple has agreed to hire members of personalized-audio startup Huxe and take a non-exclusive license to its intellectual property. The arrangement, disclosed to the European Commission, gives Apple access to talent and technology without buying the company outright.
Huxe was founded by developers who previously worked on the AI-generated podcast features in Google’s NotebookLM, now called Gemini Notebook. Its product turned information into personalized audio. The startup said in May that it would remove its apps, stop service and delete user data because the team was moving on.
Apple notified the Commission about its agreement on June 9. The filing says employment offers went to “certain employees,” but does not name them, confirm who accepted or describe how Apple might use the licensed technology.
The deal could support future audio features, but that remains speculation. Spotify has introduced its own AI podcast-generation tools, while technology companies are testing personalized spoken briefings and summaries. Apple’s filing establishes the hiring and license; it does not establish that an AI-generated podcast feature is coming to Apple Podcasts or any other product.