SoftBank Acquires Ampere Computing for $6.5 Billion in Cash Deal

Tokyo, Japan / Santa Clara, CA - SoftBank Group Corp. will acquire Ampere Computing, a silicon design company, in an all-cash transaction valued at $6.5 billion, the companies announced Thursday.

Ampere will retain its name as a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group. The company's lead investors, Carlyle and Oracle Corp., are selling their respective positions as part of the transaction.

The acquisition aligns with SoftBank's expansion of AI infrastructure investments, which include ventures such as Cristal Intelligence and Stargate.

"The future of Artificial Super Intelligence requires breakthrough computing power," said Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp.

Ampere was founded in 2018 in Silicon Valley, USA. 

The company initially focused on cloud-native computing but has since expanded its business scope to sustainable AI.

Currently, the company is developing products for various cloud workloads, from the edge to cloud data center applications.

Renee James, Founder and CEO of Ampere, said the company is "excited to drive forward our AmpereOne roadmap for high-performance Arm processors and AI."

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the second half of 2025. 

Ampere's headquarters will remain in Santa Clara, California.