March 20, 2025 – In a recent announcement, SoftBank Group has revealed a deal with US-based chip design firm Ampere, where the Japanese conglomerate will acquire 100% ownership of Ampere through a wholly-owned subsidiary in an all-cash transaction valued at $6.5 billion.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ampere will continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group while retaining its current name. As part of the transaction, major investors in Ampere, Carlyle Group and Oracle Corporation, will divest their respective stakes in the company.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, commented, “The future of AI demands groundbreaking computational power. Ampere’s expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing will help accelerate this vision and deepen our commitment to AI innovation in the United States.”
Public records indicate that Ampere, founded in 2018, specializes in designing processors for data center equipment, leveraging Arm’s technology architecture.
Last year, Oracle Corporation disclosed its 29% ownership stake in Ampere, with the option to exercise future investment rights, potentially gaining control over the company.
In 2021, SoftBank had planned a minority equity investment in Ampere, which was then valued at over $8 billion. However, since then, the chip market has become increasingly competitive, with several major tech companies entering the fray to develop products similar to Ampere’s offerings.
