SoftBank Group has announced a landmark $6.5 billion acquisition of U.S.-based semiconductor company Ampere Computing, a move seen as a bold step toward realizing its vision for the future of artificial intelligence (AI).
Founder and CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized that Ampere’s deep expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing will be crucial in advancing SoftBank’s ambitions in the AI sector.
According to CNBC, the acquisition involves purchasing Ampere shares from U.S. investment firm Carlyle Group and tech giant Oracle.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025. After the transaction, Ampere will continue operating as an independent subsidiary with its headquarters remaining in Santa Clara, California.
In a personal statement following the announcement, Son stated that the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI) requires "unprecedented computational power.
" He believes Ampere’s technologies will significantly enhance SoftBank’s capabilities and help accelerate its global AI vision.
Ampere Computing was founded in 2017 by Renee James, a former Intel executive with 28 years of experience.
The company specializes in building custom compute cores and high-performance CPUs.
Its client portfolio includes major tech firms such as Apple, Qualcomm, and others.
James responded to the acquisition news with enthusiasm, saying, "We’re thrilled to partner with SoftBank and its leading portfolio of technology companies to advance AI innovation.
This is a tremendous achievement for our team, and we look forward to pushing our AmpereOne high-performance Arm processors further into the AI industry.
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Reuters added that this acquisition is part of SoftBank’s broader strategy to dominate the AI landscape.
The group is also collaborating with OpenAI and the Trump administration to build an AI-focused data center project named "Stargate.
" Additionally, SoftBank plans to launch a joint venture called Cristal with OpenAI, aimed at offering AI services to Japanese enterprise customers.
Nikkei reported that Carlyle currently owns 59.65% of Ampere, while Oracle holds 32.27%, and another 8.08% is held by entities related to the UK-based ARM.
SoftBank intends to acquire all of these shares through its subsidiaries, with the deal timeline set for the latter half of 2025..