Apple may not be making big splashy moves such as Google’s Nest acquisition or Facebook’s purchase of WhatsApp, but it won’t hesitate to buy up smaller companies that it thinks can add real value to its products. Unnamed sources say that Apple has just bought LuxVue Technology, a company that develops power-efficient micro-LED display technology. Other than this, though, not much is known about what the company has been up to.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) purchased LuxVue Technology Corp., a startup that specializes in power-efficient displays that could be used in small consumer devices lacking space for bulky screens or batteries. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, wrote in an e-mail. Apple has ramped up its dealmaking pace, purchasing 24 companies over the past 18 months as it develops and improves products. The Cupertino, California-based company is said to be readying bigger-screen iPhones, a watch-like wearable device and a new Apple TV set-top box. LuxVue, based in Santa Clara, California, was founded in 2009 and counts venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as an investor. Kleiner’s website lists LuxVue as “Acquired.” Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
