It appears Apple has acquired C3 Technologies, a 3D mapping company based in Sweden, reports 9to5Mac:
Sure enough, we have now learned Apple is now the owner of C3 Technologies. Sources say that C3 Technologies CEO Mattias Astrom, C3 Technologies CFO Kjell Cederstrand, and lead C3 Technologies Product Manager Ludvig Emgard are now working within Apple’s iOS division. The leading trio, along with most of the former C3 Technologies team, is still working as a team in Sweden (interestingly, the division is now called “Sputnik”), where the C3 Technologies company was located prior to the Apple acquisition.
Back in August, it was noted by MacRumors (via Nyteknik.se) that C3 Technologies had been acquired by an unknown buyer in the West, with the deal reportedly worth $1 billion dollars. Their website was shut down at the time, and former investor Saab cashed out their more than 50% stake in the company.
Steve Jobs previously stated Apple was building a crowd-sourced database based on traffic, and 3D maps could definitely enhance this future addition to iOS. Here’s a video demonstrating the technology:
