SoftBank Group Corp. has announced it will acquire US-based chip startup Ampere Computing in an all-cash deal worth $6.5 billion.
The move reinforces SoftBank’s expanding focus on artificial intelligence, positioning Ampere alongside its majority-owned Arm Holdings within its growing semiconductor portfolio.
“The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second half of 2025,” the company said in a press release.
Ampere’s position in the chip space
Ampere Computing, founded in 2018 by former Intel president Renee James, specializes in data center central processing unit (CPU) chips based on Arm Holdings’ architecture.
The company has provided its chips to firms such as Oracle, which use them in cloud computing infrastructure.
As part of the deal, Ampere’s major investors, Oracle, and private equity firm Carlyle Group, will sell their respective stakes to SoftBank.
Ampere differentiated itself by developing CPUs with its own custom computing core technology, a step usually undertaken by larger firms like Apple and Qualcomm.
However, competition intensified when Arm began working directly with major tech firms, such as Microsoft and Google, to develop custom processors.
Google initially adopted Ampere’s chips but later shifted its focus to developing its own Arm-based “Axon” CPU.
Strengthening SoftBank’s AI Ambitions
With Ampere under SoftBank’s ownership, the Japanese conglomerate is further strengthening its presence in the semiconductor and AI space.
Ampere will now operate alongside Arm, forming part of SoftBank’s broader push into AI-driven technologies.
“With a shared vision for advancing AI, we are excited to join SoftBank Group and partner with its portfolio of leading technology companies,” James said in a statement.
This is a fantastic outcome for our team, and we are excited to drive forward our AmpereOne roadmap for high-performance Arm processors and AI.”
“The future of Artificial Super Intelligence requires breakthrough computing power,” said Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp.
Ampere’s expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing will help accelerate this vision, and deepens our commitment to AI innovation in the United States.”
The acquisition, expected to close in the second half of 2025, marks another step in SoftBank’s aggressive AI expansion.
SoftBank was reportedly considering an investment in Ampere alongside Oracle in 2021, in a deal that would have valued the company at $8 billion.
In 2022, Ampere confidentially filed for an initial public offering but never moved forward with the listing.
In February, SoftBank and OpenAI announced a joint venture aimed at providing advanced AI solutions for businesses.
The two companies were collaborating on the Stargate initiative, a US government-backed project to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure.
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