Apple Acquired 29 Companies Since Fiscal 2013, Including Five Since April [Mac Blog]

During today’s third quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that Apple has purchased a total of 29 companies since fiscal 2013, including five new companies after the end of the March quarter. Of the 29 companies purchased, some are known but many remain unknown.

Only three of Apple’s newest acquisitions have been revealed, including LuxVue Technology in early May, Beats Electronics in late May, and Spotsetter in June, leaving two unknown acquisitions. The acquisition of Beats marked Apple’s most expensive purchase to date at $3 billion. Apple CFO Luca Maestri says the deal is expected to close this quarter.

Earlier in 2014, Apple acquired SnappyLabs, a company that produced a burst-mode photo app, and Burstly, the company behind the Testflight iOS beta testing platform.

Including BroadMap, Embark, HopStop, Locationary, and WiFiSlam, along with other notable additions like 3D company PrimeSense and Novauris, a speech recognition company.

The technology from Apple’s acquisitions will undoubtedly make its way into future products and updates. For example, significant mapping updates are expected sometime after the launch of iOS 8, adding transit directions and improved indoor mapping techniques.

During the company’s April earnings call, Tim Cook said Apple was “on the prowl” for additional companies to acquire.