SoftBank in $65 Billion Ampere Acquisition Talks

According to reports, SoftBank Group is nearing the completion of its acquisition of chipmaker Ampere Computing LLC, with the deal valuing the company at approximately $6.5 billion. Sources close to the matter indicate that negotiations are progressing smoothly and an agreement may be announced within the coming weeks. However, despite entering the final stages, there remains a possibility of delays or the breakdown of talks.

Looking back to September last year, it was first reported that Ampere was exploring acquisition opportunities. By January 9th of this year, news emerged suggesting SoftBank and its subsidiary Arm Holdings plc were interested in Ampere and were exploring potential transaction possibilities.

Founded in 2017 by former Intel president Renee James, Ampere specializes in delivering high-performance, energy-efficient processors for cloud computing and AI workloads. Its product lineup includes the Ampere Altra series designed for edge computing and large-scale cloud deployments, as well as the AmpereOne family tailored for demanding cloud-native and AI tasks.

If SoftBank and Arm jointly complete the acquisition of Ampere, it would significantly enhance SoftBank's position in the semiconductor industry, particularly in the data center and AI markets. This acquisition provides SoftBank with the opportunity to offer integrated solutions combining Arm architecture with Ampere's advanced chip designs, thereby gaining a competitive edge.

Additionally, SoftBank owns UK-based AI processor developer Graphcore Ltd. A successful acquisition could drive a market promotion partnership between Ampere and Graphcore. By integrating Ampere's technology with Graphcore's products, SoftBank aims to enter the server market with a combined solution featuring Graphcore's Bow IPUs and Ampere CPUs.