SoftBank Group announced it will acquire Ampere Computing, a startup specializing in Arm-based server chips, for $6.5 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025. Carlyle Group and Oracle, both investors in Ampere, have agreed to sell their stakes. Despite the acquisition, Ampere will continue to operate independently with its headquarters in Santa Clara, California.
SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized that Ampere’s expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing will strengthen the company’s AI initiatives. Ampere’s CEO, Renee James, expressed excitement about joining SoftBank, highlighting their shared vision for AI advancement. Ampere, which has 1,000 semiconductor engineers, will continue developing its Arm-based processors under the AmpereOne® brand.
SoftBank has been increasing its AI investments, including a recent partnership with OpenAI to develop enterprise-level AI solutions. It is also involved in the $500 billion Stargate AI investment project launched under former U.S. President Donald Trump. This acquisition aligns with SoftBank’s strategy of expanding its influence in AI infrastructure and semiconductor technology.
Ampere, founded in 2017 by Renee James after nearly three decades at Intel, focuses on energy-efficient Arm-based processors as an alternative to traditional x86 chips used by Intel and AMD. These chips have gained popularity for their lower power consumption and are widely used in cloud computing. Amazon Web Services offers Graviton Arm chips, while Microsoft recently introduced Cobalt 100 Arm-based cloud instances.
SoftBank previously acquired British chip designer Arm for $32 billion in 2016, later taking the company public in 2023. Ampere’s acquisition further strengthens SoftBank’s position in the semiconductor industry. However, following the announcement, SoftBank’s shares were down 2% in Thursday’s trading
