Intel has acquired a small artificial intelligence startup called Vertex.Ai that will give the company a boost in developing deep learning software tools. News of the deal, first reported by TechCrunch on Thursday, comes after the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company recently disclosed that Xeon processor sales for AI applications reached $1 billion last year. The acquisition price of the Seattle-based startup was not disclosed. The semiconductor giant has made several moves in the past few years in attempt to become a big player in AI applications. This includes acquisitions of structured ASIC maker eASIC, reprogrammable chip maker Altera, autonomous vehicle software maker Mobileye, computer vision provider Movidius, and AI chip maker Nervana Systems.