ARM considers acquiring Ampere Computing — Image: ARM Holdings

SoftBank Group and its majority-owned ARM Holdings are exploring a deal for Ampere Computing, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ampere, the Oracle-backed semiconductor designer, has drawn takeover interest from ARM while exploring its strategic options, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private.

Talks could still fall apart, the people cautioned. It’s also possible Ampere could end up being bought by another suitor.

Ampere, which designs semiconductors that use ARM’s technology, was valued at US$8-billion in a proposed minority investment by Japan’s SoftBank in 2021. It couldn’t be learned what valuation SoftBank, ARM and Ampere are currently discussing.

Representatives for ARM and Ampere declined to comment. Spokespeople for SoftBank and Oracle didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ampere has been working with a financial adviser to help field takeover interest. The Santa Clara, California-based company’s interest in a deal with a larger player in the industry suggests that it didn’t see an easy path to an initial public offering.

A deal for Ampere, whose early backers also include Carlyle Group, would add to a wave of chip companies looking to capitalise on an AI spending boom. Oracle said last year that it owns 29% of the start-up and can exercise future investments options that would give it control of the chip maker.

Competitive

Though Ampere stands to benefit from the continuing AI frenzy, the market has grown more competitive, with several large tech companies rushing to develop the same kinds of chips that Ampere makes. While there’s a huge interest in control of key components as the data centre industry retools for the AI age, Ampere, like larger rivals Intel and AMD, is having to respond to a shift in spending away from CPUs towards Nvidia’s accelerator chips.

Ampere makes processors for data centre machinery using ARM’s technology. ARM is increasingly moving from being a licensor of fundamental standards and basic blueprints to more of a complete chip maker. The addition of Ampere’s engineers, many who worked for Intel’s former industry-leading server chip unit, might add expertise and impetus to CEO Rene Haas’s push into that market.

Read: Intel, AMD team up to confront challenge from ARM

Ampere founder and CEO Renee James, a former Intel executive, had eyed taking Ampere public. The company said in April 2022 that it had filed confidentially for a US IPO, at a time when demand for chips was surging. — Liana Baker, Ryan Gould and Ian King, with Brody Ford and Min Jeong Lee, (c) 2025 Bloomberg LP

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