After the failed purchase by NVIDIA, the future of MRA has not yet been defined. Softbank, its owner, has publicly stated its intention to go public and start trading on the stock exchange – on Nasdaq, more specifically – although the United Kingdom resists the idea. However, a different path could open up for the chip designer. hand in hand with Samsung. And the rumors of a possible purchase have not been long in coming.
Bloomberg reports that Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank, plans to travel to South Korea to discuss a possible “strategic alliance” between ARM and Samsung. For now, the parameters of this potential agreement are unknown, although it is logical to think that it may begin to generate some resentment within the semiconductor industry.
After all, one of the things that characterizes ARM—and one that turned out to be crucial in dooming its acquisition by NVIDIA—is its “neutrality.” This means that its technologies and developments are available to all those willing to license them, without privileges.
Can Samsung buy ARM?
As we said, it is logical that the rapprochement between ARM and Samsung could cause suspicion among other big names in the sector. Even more so if one takes into account the recent declarations of Lee Jae Yongthe vice president and heir to the South Korean firm, who has just returned from an extensive tour that took him to Mexico and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
As reported eDailyupon arrival in Seoul, the executive stated the following: “The main purpose of this trip was to encourage our employees who are working hard for the company and for our country in a difficult environment ahead. I did not meet with ARM on this visit to the UK. Maybe next month, SoftBank president Son will be in Seoul. But I don’t know if he will make the proposal first.”
The statements of the director, recently pardoned after his corruption scandals, are more than eloquent. This is not to say that the groundwork has already been laid to announce a new acquisition overnight. Although one should not be surprised if this were the case, considering that Samsung recently revealed an ambitious plan to invest 356,000 million dollars until 2026. It will focus on areas such as the development of chips, artificial intelligence, robotics and pharmacy, among others.
The semiconductor industry, again on alert
If Samsung’s intention to buy ARM finally becomes official, getting the deal approved won’t be easy. Let’s not forget that when NVIDIA tried it, it not only ran into a myriad of regulatory hurdles, but also opposition from big corporations such as Microsoft, Google and Qualcomm.
In fact, recently the CEO of Qualcomm proposed putting together a consortium to buy ARM and keep it neutral. However, the idea could have been cut short after the recent lawsuit by the chip designer firm against the Americans.