HP Acquires Humane for $116 Million, Strengthening AI and Wearable Tech Capabilities
In a major development, HP is acquiring the assets of Humane for $116 million. The Ai Pin Startup, Humane said in a statement on Tuesday that the deal will include the majority of Humane’s employees in addition to its software platform and intellectual property, as reported on Yahoo Finance. This acquisition is part of HP’s constant attempts to drive innovation in the AI-based device market.
Tuan Tran, Lead, HP’s AI initiatives said, “Humane’s team, including founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, will form a new division at HP to help integrate artificial intelligence into the company’s personal computers, printers and connected conference rooms.”
HP Acquires Humane Assets
The deal is primarily about HP acquiring Humane’s assets like intellectual property, talent, and technology. Human with its AI PIN startup is working on AI-powered equipment to reimagine human-computer interactions. Through this deal, HP intends to leverage Human’s knowledge of AI, software, and creative hardware design to fuel its own product ecosystem.
Humane’s Cosmos platform, a proprietary operating system designed for AI-driven wearable devices, will also be integrated into HP’s technology portfolio. The platform was built to enable smooth AI integrations which makes it a valuable addition to HP’s software capacities.
In April 2024, Humane launched a much-awaited wearable gadget that would allow users to interact with AI models, place calls, and send messages using voice or gestures. The startup pitched the Ai Pin as a future smartphone replacement.
However, the product was met with a wave of complaints, technical malfunctions, and a “quality issue” that could pose a future risk. The San Francisco startup had raised more than $230 million in financing, with high-profile investors such as Salesforce Inc. CEO Marc Benioff.
Why HP’s Move Matters in the AI Market
Humane acquisition by HP highlights the tendency of technical giants making heavily in AI-powered equipment and platforms. Companies such as Apple, Google, and Meta are searching for AI-Enhanced Wearables, and HP acquisition indicates the intention of being competitive at this location.
HP’s AI ambitions can expand into enterprise AI solutions beyond consumer hardware, making the Humane Cosmos platform integrated into its broad ecosystem. By incorporating Humane’s AI-operated user experiences, HP can see new wearable devices, AI assistants, or even enterprise-level AI solutions.
Humane has been looking for a buyer since May 2024, wanting to sell the company for $750 million to $1 billion. HP said, “This deal is expected to close by the end of the month.”
Tran said that he was particularly impressed with aspects of Humane’s design, such as the ability to orchestrate AI models running both on-device and in the cloud. He added, “There will be a time and place for pure AI devices. But there is going to be AI in all our devices — that’s how we can help our business customers be more productive.”
