(Bloomberg) – SoftBank Group Corp. is undergoing high consultations to acquire Ampere Computing LLC, those familiar with the issue say.
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Japanese companies are discussing transactions that can value Oracle Corp.-backed chip designers, including debt, at around $6.5 billion, according to people. They said the deal could be announced in the coming weeks.
Last month, Bloomberg News reported that SoftBank and chip designer Armholdings PLC were mostly owned by SoftBank and had expressed interest in the acquisition of Ampere.
The lectures are in a sophisticated stage, but they could still be delayed or declined, people said. Representatives from Ampere, Arm and Softbank declined to comment.
The Ampere contract, which includes private equity firm Carlyle Group Inc., early supporters, adds to the wave of chip companies seeking to capitalize on the artificial intelligence spending boom. Last year, Oracle said it owns 29% of Ampere and can exercise future investment options to manage the company.
Ampere, which uses ARM’s technology to manufacture processors for data center machines, was valued at over $8 billion in 2021 by Japan’s SoftBank, Bloomberg News reported at the time. However, since then, the chips market has become more competitive, with several large tech companies rushing to develop the same kind of product as Ampere.
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