Apple confirms acquisition of VR startup Spaces

Apple is acquiring Spaces, a virtual reality firm that recently pivoted from creating theme park attractions to bringing traditional video conferencing software to VR headsets.

Why it matters: Apple has shown continued interest in both virtual and augmented reality and has been reportedly testing headsets internally, but it has yet to release such a product publicly.

Details: Apple confirmed the acquisition to Axios with the statement it usually offers in such cases. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

• The company declined to comment further or say whether it will continue to offer Spaces' video conferencing software.
• Spaces posted a thank-you note to users on its website, but didn't offer additional details.

The big picture: Axios featured Spaces in an article last month on tech companies that were pivoting in the wake of the pandemic.

• The company had raised substantial funding around the premise of creating destination virtual reality experiences that could go in theme parks or shopping malls.
• With the pandemic putting that business in limbo, Spaces shifted its energy and created software that uses VR headsets to allow people to have more immersive experiences with Zoom and other video conferencing services.

Apple's acquisition of Spaces was first reported by Protocol.