# Apple has quietly agreed to hire employees and license intellectual property of Animato.

*genai · news · 2026-05-19 · MacRumors*

## Key points

- Apple has made a structured acqui-hire of Animato, licensing its IP and patent applications.
- The acquisition was disclosed in an EU Digital Markets Act filing in January 2026.
- Animato's well-known 'Call Annie' app, enabling video AI avatar chats, has been discontinued post-acquisition.
- This marks Apple's second digital avatar company acquisition within just over a year, following TrueMeeting.

**Companies:** Apple, Animato
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/19/apple-acquires-animato/)

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