Intel Acquires Deep Learning Startup Vertex.AI

Intel has acquired artificial intelligence startup Vertex.AI, whose core product is the deep learning platform PlaidML. PlaidML is known in the machine learning field as a solution facilitating the deployment of deep learning on any device, and is particularly popular for devices running Windows and MacOS. PlaidML started life as an opensource project and Intel says it will continue to develop it as such. It will continue to support a variety of hardware under an Apache 2.0 license with an Intel nGraph backend. “We are excited to advance flexible deep learning for edge computing as part of Intel,” the company said. The price of the deal has not been disclosed. Vertex.AI’s seven-person team, including founders Choong Ng, Jeremy Bruestle and Brian Retford, has joined the Movidius team in Intel’s Artificial Intelligence Products Group. The Movidius unit was formed around a computer vision chipmaking startup of the same name which Intel acquired in 2016.