Qualcomm may purchase stake in Arm as part of consortium
In an effort to keep Arm effectively independent, Qualcomm could purchase the chip designer as part of a consortium.
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What you need to know
Qualcomm and other tech giants may form a consortium to purchase Arm, according to a report by theFinancial Times. The move would be part of an effort to keep Arm effectively independent. The idea being that if several large companies gathered together, Arm would continue to be neutral across the industry.
Arm-designed chips are used throughout the industry by Apple, Google, Qualcomm, and several other large companies.
NVIDIA planned to purchase Arm from SoftBank for $66 billion, but thedeal fell throughafter legal action by the FTC in the United States. Intel and several companies in the industry were against NVIDIA’s plan to purchase Arm. The purchase also ran into several legal challenges, which ultimately led to its end.
Since then, SoftBank, which owns Arm, announced plans to publicly list the company. Qualcomm appears to be interested in other plans.
“We’re an interested party in investing,” said Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon to the Financial Times. “It’s a very important asset and it’s an asset which is going to be essential to the development of our industry.”
The CEO explained that Arm could work together with multiple chipmakers to purchase Arm. Amon said that multiple companies would need to join together in a purchase of Qualcomm in order to maintain neutrality. “You’d need to have many companies participating so they have a net effect that Arm is independent.”
While Amon showed an interest in having Qualcomm invest in Arm, the CEO said that Qualcomm has not yet spoken to SoftBank about a potential deal.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
