SoftBank acquires ampere computing for $6.5 billion in cash

SoftBank Group has completed the acquisition of Ampere Computing—a leading data center chip designer—for $6.5 billion in cash through its subsidiary Silver Bands6. Ampere will operate as a wholly owned SoftBank subsidiary, retaining its brand and team, with its financials consolidated into SoftBank’s statements from the acquisition date.

Ampere, founded in 2018 and built on Arm architecture, employs around 1,000 semiconductor engineers and serves major cloud providers including Google, Microsoft, and Oracle. Its energy-efficient processors are well-positioned for the booming AI and cloud infrastructure markets.

The deal also saw Ampere’s two largest shareholders—Carlyle Group and Oracle—exit fully. SoftBank said the acquisition strengthens its AI infrastructure capabilities and accelerates growth in high-performance computing.

Notably, earlier this year, reports suggested Arm (also a SoftBank subsidiary) was exploring a deep partnership or acquisition of Ampere—making SoftBank’s move a strategic consolidation within its own ecosystem.

This purchase marks another major step in SoftBank’s push into AI and cloud computing, with Ampere expected to drive both technological innovation and new market opportunities.