Qualcomm Interested in Buying a Share in Arm

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon reiterated a desire for his company to buy a stake in chip design company Arm. They want to enter either as part of an IPO or as an outright purchase by a consortium of industry players.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Amon argued if Arm was purchased by a large enough number of its customers, it would have the net effect of maintaining the company’s independence. Should Qualcomm buy-in through an IPO, he noted, purchasing rivals would help support a successful float and ensure the chip design company could continue making investments.

Having tried and failed to sell Arm to Nvidia in a deal that collapsed in the face of regulatory pressure earlier this year, current owner SoftBank Group is now in the process of arranging an IPO for the chip unit. The float is scheduled to take place before the close of SoftBank Group’s fiscal year ending 31 March 2023. Though widely speculated on in the media, the conglomerate's plans to maintain a majority stake and other details are yet to be confirmed.

Qualcomm was one of the detractors of Nvidia’s attempted swoop for Arm, arguing against it on competition grounds. The comments to the FT were not the first time Amon had indicated enthusiasm for a group of Arm customers to buy a stake in the chipmaker, arguing this as an option even before the Nvidia deal was abandoned.