Apple CEO Tim Cook Reuters Apple has acquired artificial intelligence startup Lattice Data for $200 million, according to a report in TechCrunch.

The deal closed a few weeks ago and roughly 20 engineers from Lattice have joined Apple, according to the report, which cited an anonymous source.

Lattice's technology focuses on "dark data," the mass of unorganized information stored in computer networks that is not in a proper format for companies to analyze or tap into. Lattice uses AI to make sense of all that data.

Apple and Lattice did not immediately return a request for comment.

AI has become a key technology for future products envisioned by tech companies like Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, which are all racing to build up big artificial intelligence teams.

You can read the full TechCrunch story here.