In a bold strategic move, SoftBank Group has sealed a $6.5 billion all-cash acquisition of Ampere Computing, a chip design powerhouse founded by former Intel executive, Renee James. This acquisition signals SoftBank’s drive to strengthen its stake in AI infrastructure and accelerate its technological growth.
The acquisition is expected to be completed by the latter half of 2025, with Ampere becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank. The deal will see major investors Carlyle and Oracle divest their shares in the Santa Clara-based company. Carlyle holds a 59.65% stake, while Oracle owns 32.27%. Ampere, which has a workforce of 1,000 engineers, will continue its innovation in the semiconductor space under SoftBank’s ownership.
Back in 2021, SoftBank had expressed interest in acquiring a minority stake in Ampere, then valued at $8 billion. Now, with this acquisition, SoftBank seeks to expand its existing portfolio, particularly as it further integrates into the artificial intelligence sector.
Having acquired Arm Holdings, a leading British chip designer, for $32 billion in 2016, SoftBank holds a dominant position in the ARM architecture. Ampere, whose server chips are based on the ARM platform, aligns perfectly with SoftBank’s broader ambitions in AI and computing power. Ampere’s client list reads like a who’s who of tech giants, including Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba, and Tencent, as well as companies like HPE and Supermicro.
With this acquisition, SoftBank aims to propel its leadership in AI and high-performance computing, critical components of its ongoing investments in cutting-edge technologies. SoftBank has recently partnered with OpenAI to develop “Cristal Intelligence,” a new AI system designed to revolutionize the enterprise sector. The company is also heavily invested in Stargate, an AI infrastructure initiative building data centers for OpenAI across the U.S., and it has purchased a former Sharp factory in Japan.
Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s Chairman and CEO, remarked on the significance of the deal, saying, “The future of Artificial Super Intelligence requires breakthrough computing power. 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.”
Founded in 2017 by Renee James, Ampere initially focused on cloud-native computing but has since broadened its efforts to include sustainable AI computing. With this acquisition, SoftBank continues its vision to integrate powerful AI capabilities with its portfolio of technology companies.
“We share a vision for advancing AI,” James said in a statement. “Joining SoftBank Group is a fantastic outcome for our team, and we are eager to continue driving forward the AmpereOne roadmap for high-performance Arm processors and AI.”
This acquisition is expected to significantly bolster SoftBank’s footprint in the rapidly evolving AI and semiconductor industries, positioning it as a leader in the next wave of technological innovation.
