Apple(US:AAPL) Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-02-24 23:24Core Viewpoint - Apple has acquired assets from invrs.io and hired its sole employee, the founder Martin Schubert, to enhance its capabilities in photonics research and AI-assisted design [1][3]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - Apple informed the EU in October of last year about the acquisition of certain assets from invrs.io LLC, which focuses on developing an open-source framework for photonics research [3]. - The acquisition includes hiring Martin Schubert, who previously worked as a research scientist at Meta and has over a decade of experience at Google and Micron Technology [3]. Group 2: Company Focus and Goals - invrs.io aims to advance AI-assisted design, initially focusing on the optical field, which is crucial for components in AR/VR devices, data centers, and autonomous vehicles [3][4]. - The company is building an open ecosystem for AI scientists, optimization algorithm researchers, and optical design engineers, featuring various open-source projects including standardized design tasks and optimization tools [3]. Group 3: Potential Applications - It remains unclear how Apple plans to utilize these tools and what specific role Schubert will play within the company [4]. - Photonics is closely related to many of Apple's products, including camera systems, displays, sensors, and LiDAR scanners, with invrs.io's tools potentially aiding in the design of future iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro models [4].