Sept. 17--Apple Inc. has acquired a mapping analytics company that could help bolster its navigational and automotive capabilities.
Apple reportedly paid from $25 million to $30 million for Mapsense, a San Francisco start-up, according to the technology news site Re/code, which first reported the deal.
Apple confirmed the deal in a statement.
"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," the company said.
The Cupertino, Calif. maker of the iPhone has long been rumored to be interested in building its own cars. It has also made investments to try and improve its Map app, including the 2013 acquisition of HopStop, which helps users navigate municipal transit systems.
Mapsense was founded in 2013 and had raised $2.5 million in two rounds of funding from investors that include Amplify.LA and Redpoint Ventures, according to CrunchBase.
The company is equipped to analyze billions of digitally connected devices streaming location data.
"Mapsense's platform and developer tools help organizations quickly ingest and analyze billions of rows of location data to make more intelligent, locally targeted business decisions across the organization," the company's website says.
Technology companies have increasingly focused on mapping data. In June, Uber acquired about 100 employees from Microsoft's Bing to aid its mapping technology.
UPDATES
11:54 a.m.: This post was updated with comment from Apple.
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