Israeli Entrepreneur Behind iPhone Portrait Mode Sells Startup to OpenAI

Ziv Eitan, an Israeli entrepreneur whose innovations have significantly impacted smartphone photography, has sold his startup, Glass Imaging, to AI giant OpenAI for $300 million. Eitan, originally from Afula and educated in optical engineering at the Technion, previously co-founded LinX in 2011. This company pioneered small, high-quality mobile cameras using multiple image sensors instead of a single one, enhancing light sensitivity and reducing motion blur. LinX's technology was instrumental in developing the dual-camera system that enabled the portrait mode feature, now standard on iPhones.

Apple acquired LinX in early 2015 for $25 million, integrating Eitan's work into the iPhone 7 Plus's portrait mode in 2016. Eitan described portrait mode as a form of computational photography, leveraging processing power and multiple cameras to create depth maps and simulate the bokeh effect of professional cameras. He noted that AI advancements have made full-resolution AI processing feasible in recent years, opening doors for innovative hardware solutions.

In 2019, Eitan and Dr. Tom Bishop left Apple to found Glass Imaging, aiming to revolutionize digital photography with AI-driven hardware changes. Their goal was to create smaller, cheaper, yet higher-quality cameras, particularly for thin smartphone designs. Glass Imaging's technology allows for precise characterization of optics and sensors, feeding data into AI software that can correct imperfections and enhance image quality, even from less advanced cameras.

The acquisition by OpenAI, a company reportedly developing new AI-powered hardware, including a potential desktop or wearable device, suggests Glass Imaging's technology could be crucial. Such devices require high-quality cameras for environmental sensing and analysis, and Glass Imaging's ability to deliver this with potentially lower hardware investment makes its technology highly valuable.