Apple Acquires Czech Materials Science Firm PlasmaSolve

Apple completed the acquisition of PlasmaSolve s.r.o., a Czech materials science firm, in April. A regulatory disclosure posted this week on the European Commission website reveals the deal. Through a subsidiary, Apple took full ownership of the Brno-based company and hired several of its employees.



Founded in 2016 by Adam Obrusnik, PlasmaSolve developed MatSight, software that helps manufacturers design and optimize Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) processes. MatSight combines physics, chemistry, and machine-learning models to create digital twins of plasma-powered coating systems.


The technology is particularly relevant to Apple, which already uses PVD on various device enclosures and components to apply durable protective and decorative coatings. The acquisition suggests Apple is looking to further refine its coating processes. Improved simulation could help optimize coating uniformity, improve manufacturing efficiency, and reduce defects during production.

PlasmaSolve was a small Brno-based team, reportedly employing between two and ten people. Early adopters included Kolzer, Von Ardenne, and the Danish Technological Institute. Its MatSight website has been taken down since the acquisition.

Apple routinely acquires small technology firms and rarely announces them unless required by regulation. Recent disclosures revealed purchases of data management startup SigScalr and color grading app Color.io. Unlike many of Apple's recent AI-focused acquisitions, PlasmaSolve is focused on the manufacturing technologies behind Apple's hardware.