Software maker Nuance has held talks with potential buyers for its sale, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The company, whose software powers the Siri feature on Apple's iPhones, recently spoke to Samsung and some private equity firms for a possible deal, the Journal said.
Shares of Nuance, which has been struggling to hold on to its pricing in the handsets business, rose as much as 11% to $19.04 on Monday on the Nasdaq.
Carl Icahn reported a 15.9% increase in his stake in the company to 60.8 million shares for the quarter ended 31 December.
The activist investor, Nuance's largest shareholder, held about 19.08% stake in the company as of 31 March 2014.
The company's current market capitalisation is about $5.45 billion, according to Thomson Reuters data.
It wasn't clear where the talks, some of which happened earlier this year, currently stand and whether they would result in a deal, the Journal said.
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