SoftBank to acquire US semiconductor firm Ampere for $6.5 billion

Group 1 - SoftBank Group has reached a deal to acquire US semiconductor firm Ampere for US $6.5 billion, driven by the increasing demand for chips due to the AI boom [1][2] - The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2025 and is subject to regulatory approval [1][2] - Ampere Computing focuses on high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable AI technology based on the ARM compute platform [2] Group 2 - SoftBank is already the majority shareholder in Arm Holdings, whose technology is utilized in 99% of smartphones, indicating a strategic alignment with the acquisition [2] - In February, SoftBank and OpenAI announced a joint venture to provide advanced artificial intelligence solutions to businesses, further emphasizing SoftBank's commitment to AI [3]