SoftBank Group has officially announced its plan to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere Computing in a massive $6.5 billion all-cash deal. This strategic move reinforces SoftBank’s growing ambitions in AI infrastructure and high-performance computing.
Set to close in the second half of 2025, the acquisition will see Ampere become a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank. Ampere, based in Santa Clara, California, was founded by Renee James, a former Intel president and seasoned tech executive. The company employs around 1,000 semiconductor engineers, making it a significant player in the AI chip race.
Currently, private equity firm Carlyle holds a 59.65% stake in Ampere, while Oracle owns 32.27%. Both investors are set to exit the startup following the buyout, according to SoftBank’s official statement.
Interestingly, this isn’t SoftBank’s first attempt to invest in Ampere. Back in 2021, the Japanese tech giant explored acquiring a minority stake in the chipmaker, then valued at roughly $8 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Ampere’s strength lies in its custom-designed server processors built on the ARM architecture—a sector where SoftBank already has a solid foothold. As the largest shareholder in British chip designer Arm Holdings, SoftBank’s acquisition of Ampere deepens the synergy between both companies. Notably, SoftBank purchased Arm for $32 billion in 2016 and later took it public in 2023.
Ampere’s cutting-edge chips power major cloud providers, including Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba, and Tencent. Hardware giants like Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Supermicro also rely on Ampere’s server chips, highlighting the company’s industry reach.
SoftBank views this acquisition as a crucial step in scaling its AI and computing capabilities. The deal follows a string of strategic investments aimed at strengthening its position in the AI infrastructure space. Recently, SoftBank partnered with OpenAI to develop an advanced enterprise AI project dubbed “Cristal Intelligence.” It has also backed Stargate, a major data center project supporting OpenAI’s operations across the U.S., and purchased an old Sharp factory in Japan for expansion.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son described the Ampere deal as pivotal for the future of artificial super intelligence. “Breakthrough computing power is essential for the next generation of AI,” Son said. “Ampere’s expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing strengthens our commitment to driving AI innovation, particularly in the U.S.”
Founded in 2017, Ampere initially focused on cloud-native computing but has since shifted towards sustainable AI computing—a move aligned with the growing demand for energy-efficient AI infrastructure. CEO Renee James expressed excitement about joining forces with SoftBank, emphasizing shared goals in advancing AI.
“With SoftBank’s backing, we’re ready to accelerate our AmpereOne roadmap, delivering high-performance Arm processors built for the AI era,” James said. “This partnership is a huge win for our team and strengthens our ability to innovate.”
This landmark deal places SoftBank in a prime position to dominate the rapidly evolving AI hardware sector. As AI computing needs skyrocket, acquiring Ampere’s expertise and technology is a bold move designed to fuel SoftBank’s ambitious vision.
