Was Jeff Bezos-Backed WhyLabs Secretly Acquired By Apple After $10M Series A To Compete In AI Arms Race Against Google, OpenAI, And Microsoft?

Apple AAPL has reportedly secretly completed the stealth acquisition of WhyLabs, a Seattle-based AI startup focused on real-time monitoring and security for artificial intelligence applications, GeekWire says.

Founded in 2019, WhyLabs was spun out of the Allen Institute for AI and gained traction with its observability platform, which was recently upgraded for real-time security monitoring of generative AI applications. GeekWire says that while no official announcement has been made, multiple signals across the web suggest the deal has closed.

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According to GeekWire, Perry Wu, former general partner at AI Fund, lists the company on his LinkedIn profile as “Acq by Apple.” Meanwhile, AI Fund itself, co-founded by Coursera's Andrew Ng, quietly updated WhyLabs' portfolio entry to read “was acquired in 2025.” Executives from both Apple and WhyLabs have yet to confirm the deal, but GeekWire says the clues continue to stack up.

Amazon Alumni Built WhyLabs Into A Prime AI Security Startup

WhyLabs was founded by a powerhouse team of AI experts. CEO Alessya Visnjic, an eight-year veteran at Amazon AMZN, co-founded the company with Andy Dang and Sam Gracie, both former Amazon engineers, as well as Maria Karaivanova, previously an executive at Cloudflare NET and a principal at Madrona Venture Group, GeekWire says.

The startup gained early attention following its $10 million Series A round in 2021, co-led by Andrew Ng's AI Fund and Defy Partners. Other investors included Bezos Expeditions, the personal venture arm of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, along with Seattle's Ascend and Madrona Venture Group. That round valued the company at $37 million, according to PitchBook data cited by GeekWire.

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WhyLabs quickly carved out a niche as one of the few AI infrastructure startups focused on observability, a field that has become critical as companies race to deploy generative AI tools without exposing themselves to security risks or compliance failures. In April last year, WhyLabs announced it launched an upgraded version of its platform with real-time monitoring features tailored for large language models.

According to GeekWire, the startup earned recognition as one of the top privately held companies in the Pacific Northwest, ranking No. 81 on the GeekWire 200 and being named a finalist for Startup of the Year at the 2023 GeekWire Awards.

A Strategic Move As Apple Ramps Up AI Spending

Apple has steadily expanded its presence in Seattle, making the city a quiet hub for its enterprise software and AI ambitions. GeekWire reports that over the past decade, the company has acquired several AI startups in the region, including Turi in 2016, Union Bay Networks in 2014, and Xnor.ai in 2020.

WhyLabs fits into a similar mold. With Apple announcing investments in on-device AI features, including updates rumored for the next iteration of iOS and Siri, acquiring a startup that specializes in secure, explainable AI is a move that aligns with Apple's push for secure, on-device AI.

According to GeekWire, earlier this year, Apple leased more office space in downtown Seattle, signaling continued investment in the region's deep engineering talent.

As the race to build more private, efficient AI accelerates, WhyLabs' technology could play a central role in Apple's push to close the perceived innovation gap with OpenAI, Microsoft MSFT, and Google.

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