Apple has acquired the assets of invrs.io, a startup specializing in AI-powered light and optics design tools, and hired its founder, Martin Schubert, according to a filing with the European Union made public on February 24, 2026.
The acquisition, initially reported to the European Commission in October 2025, brings invrs.io’s open-source frameworks for photonics research into Apple’s portfolio. These frameworks provide standardized simulation challenges and a public leaderboard for benchmarking and comparing design results, as detailed in the EU filing. Schubert, the sole employee of invrs.io, previously held a research scientist position at Meta, and prior to that, spent over a decade at Google and Micron working on advanced display, chip, and optical technologies.
Invrs.io’s work centers on advancing AI-guided design, with an initial focus on optics – a field critical for components used in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) systems, data centers, and autonomous vehicles. The company’s GitHub page outlines its aim to create an accessible ecosystem for AI scientists, optimization researchers, and optics designers, offering tools like standardized design challenges and optimization software.
The specific application of these tools within Apple remains unclear. However, photonics – the science of manipulating light – is integral to a wide range of Apple products, including camera systems, displays, sensors, and LiDAR scanners. The acquisition suggests Apple intends to leverage AI-driven design to improve these components, potentially for future iterations of the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Vision Pro.
This acquisition follows Apple’s recent purchase of Q.ai, an Israeli startup focused on AI audio technology, announced in January 2026. The Q.ai deal, reportedly valued at nearly $2 billion, was Apple’s second-largest acquisition to date, surpassed only by the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment regarding its plans for invrs.io’s technology or Schubert’s role within the company.
