On March 20, 2025, SoftBank Group Corp. (hereinafter referred to as "SoftBank") announced that it has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Ampere Computing Holdings LLC (hereinafter referred to as "Ampere"), a U.S.-based semiconductor design company, for 6.5 billion USD (about 973 billion JPY). As a result, Ampere will become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank. This transaction aims to accelerate growth in the AI and high-performance computing sectors, with completion expected in the second half of 2025.
Purpose of M&A
The background of SoftBank's acquisition of Ampere lies in a strategy to strengthen its ability to design high-performance, energy-efficient processors specialized for next-generation cloud computing and AI workloads. Ampere, with its outstanding technical expertise and engineering team, is expected to play a crucial role in the rapidly growing markets in the future.
Through this acquisition, SoftBank plans to leverage Ampere's technology to drive innovation in its own AI and computing sectors. Furthermore, by collaborating with Arm Holdings, SoftBank expects to integrate Ampere's expertise in ARM-based chip development, contributing to the long-term growth of its asset value.
SoftBank’s acquisition of Ampere Computing is an important strategic decision aimed at ensuring long-term growth in the AI and computing sectors. Ampere's advanced semiconductor design capabilities and the potential for energy-efficient and sustainable computing are expected to bring new value to SoftBank Group's ecosystem.
Acquisition Terms
SoftBank will acquire 100% of Ampere's shares for 6.5 billion USD (about 973 billion JPY). The acquisition will proceed as follows: first, a subsidiary called SB6 will acquire shares of Ampere from certain sellers, and then, the wholly owned subsidiary Summit Bright LLC will merge with Ampere in a reverse triangular merger. The consideration for this transaction will be financed through loans from financial institutions, including Mizuho Bank.
Schedule
Board of Directors Resolution (SoftBank): March 17, 2025 (Japan time)
Purchase Agreement Signed with Sellers: March 19, 2025 (U.S. time)
Expected Completion Date of the Transaction: Second half of 2025
