Meta Acquires Voice AI Startup PlayAI to Enhance Wearables and Apps

Meta Platforms (META) has acquired voice AI startup PlayAI to strengthen its AI offerings. PlayAI specializes in generating human-like voices for various apps. The entire PlayAI team is expected to join Meta next week and report to Johan Schalkwyk. This acquisition is part of Meta's aggressive pursuit of leadership in AI, with a focus on building its Superintelligence Labs and competing with rivals like OpenAI and Google. Analysts remain optimistic about Meta's long-term stock outlook, with a Strong Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $740.24.

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) has finalized the acquisition of PlayAI, a budding artificial intelligence startup specializing in voice technology. According to Bloomberg, the entire PlayAI team will integrate into Meta's operations next week, reporting to Johan Schalkwyk, who recently transitioned to Meta from Sesame AI Inc. [1]

PlayAI's expertise in developing natural voice solutions aligns with Meta's strategic focus on artificial intelligence. The acquisition is part of Meta's broader initiative to prioritize AI, which includes significant investments in infrastructure and talent acquisition to enhance AI models and features. The PlayAI team will contribute to Meta's projects in AI Characters, Meta AI, Wearables, and audio content creation.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has restructured the company's AI division, appointing former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead the newly established Meta Superintelligence Labs. This move underscores Meta's commitment to advancing its AI technologies. While the financial details of the PlayAI acquisition remain undisclosed, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the deal, emphasizing the synergy between PlayAI's technology and Meta's AI ambitions.

Analysts remain optimistic about Meta's long-term stock outlook. Roth Capital, a leading investment firm, has upgraded its Q3 2026 earnings estimates for Meta Platforms. Roth Capital analyst R. Kulkarni now forecasts that the social networking company will post earnings of $6.92 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $6.48. Roth Capital currently has a "Buy" rating and a $740.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Meta Platforms' current full-year earnings is $26.70 per share. [2]

Meta Platforms has seen increased institutional investment recently. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock. Insiders have also been active, with Jennifer Newstead and COO Javier Olivan selling shares of the company's stock in the last three months. [2]

Meta Platforms recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on June 26, 2025. Stockholders of record on June 16, 2025, were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share, representing a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was June 16, 2025. [2]

Meta Platforms, Inc. engages in the development of products that enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality headsets, and wearables worldwide. It operates in two segments, Family of Apps and Reality Labs. The Family of Apps segment offers Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other social media platforms, while the Reality Labs segment focuses on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. [2]

References:
[1] https://www.indexbox.io/blog/meta-platforms-acquires-ai-startup-playai-to-enhance-voice-technology/
[2] https://www.marketbeat.com/instant-alerts/roth-capital-expects-stronger-earnings-for-meta-platforms-2025-07-10/