'We're Very Open': Apple CEO Tim Cook Says He Wants to Buy Startups. Could Your Company Be Next? Apple is on a startup buying spree, acquiring a new company every few weeks, according to its CEO.
By Erin Davis Edited by Sherin Shibu
Last week, on Apple's earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said he was looking to acquire companies.
"We're very open to [mergers and acquisitions]," Cook said at the time. "We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a roadmap. If they do, then we're interested."
Related: She Was CEO of OpenAI for 2 Days. Now Her Secretive AI Startup Has Raised $12 Billion.
Cook noted that of the seven or so companies that Apple had acquired so far in 2025, several were not AI-focused and came from "all walks of life." He also said the company was making deals fast — every few weeks.
Apple CEO Tim Cook BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP | Getty Images
What is Apple looking for in a startup?
"We are not stuck on a certain size company," Cook said.
Apple has about $133 billion of cash, so price isn't the issue. Rather, the question would be how a startup can fit into the Apple ecosystem with consumer products.
Business Insider notes that Apple's largest acquisition of all time was Beats Electronics in 2014 for $3 billion.
The outlet asked several experts in the field which companies Apple should consider buying, and many big names were thrown into the ring — including Perplexity, the popular AI-powered search engine.
Related: A Newly Acquired Startup Just Offered Its 200-Person Team a Choice — Work Weekends or Take a Buyout
Another notable suggestion was Thinking Machines Lab, the startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The company has raised $12 billion so far, though it has yet to launch any products. In July, Murati posted on X that the company would be sharing its first product "in the next couple of months."
Still, Perplexity and Thinking Machines Lab could be too pricey (both could end up costing somewhere close to $20 billion, BI estimates, if they were even for sale at all), so smaller companies definitely have a shot.
Maybe it's time to give your pitch deck a refresh.
Join top CEOs, founders, and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue, and building sustainable success.
