Apple (AAPL) has acquired Siri, a San Jose-based producer of� a “virtual personal assistant” app for the iPhone. The software basically provides a natural language search function for mobile devices. The news was broken by blogger Robert Scoble, who picked up on an FTC filing about clearance for the deal.
Update: A spokesperson for SRI International points out that Siri is a spin-out from the Menlo Park-based research institution, in particular their Speech Technology & Research Lab. SRI owns a stake in the company.
The Wall Street Journal in February said the company had raised $24 million from Menlo Ventures and Morgenthaler Ventures; the story said the company indicated it also had raised funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Scoble speculates that the deal could be for $200 million, but he’s just guessing.
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