Twitter acquired Magic Pony in 2016, the AI startup that used neural networks to process and improve images.
Magic Pony Technology was a London-based machine-learning company founded by researchers working on visual processing. Its systems learned patterns in imagery, allowing them to enhance low-quality pictures, reconstruct missing detail, and support richer video experiences. Twitter announced the acquisition on June 20, 2016, as part of a broader effort to strengthen its machine-learning and live-video capabilities.
The deal was widely reported as being worth up to $150 million, although the exact terms were not fully disclosed. Magic Pony’s technology was intended to complement Twitter’s existing work in video, image sharing, and its Cortex machine-learning organization. A common mix-up is with Madbits, another AI company Twitter acquired earlier, in 2014; Madbits focused on visual intelligence, while Magic Pony was the 2016 image-processing acquisition described here.