SoftBank secures FTC approval for $6.5B Ampere acquisition

SoftBank has secured approval from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its $6.5 billion acquisition of US-based chip designer Ampere Computing, with the FTC ending its probe into the deal that began in July 2025. This regulatory clearance removes a major hurdle, clearing the way for SoftBank to take full control of Ampere, whose server processors power data centers critical to AI and cloud computing infrastructure.​

Key Details of the Acquisition

• The deal, valued at $6.5 billion in cash, was first announced in March 2025 and is expected to close in the latter half of 2025, pending remaining customary closing conditions.​

• Ampere will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank while continuing to operate independently, retaining its headquarters in California.​

• Ampere designs Arm-based processors for large-scale servers; Arm is already controlled by SoftBank, further integrating SoftBank’s hold over the hardware behind AI and high-performance computing.​

• Major investors Carlyle Group and Oracle have agreed to sell their stakes in Ampere as part of the deal.​

Strategic Importance

• This acquisition is central to SoftBank’s strategy to enhance its position in AI hardware and infrastructure, alongside its existing interests in Arm and recent divestments from Nvidia.​

• By bringing Ampere under its umbrella, SoftBank aims to control more elements critical for the backend operations driving AI, cloud, and crypto-related industries.​

• The FTC’s decision for “early termination” of the antitrust review points to no remaining regulatory obstacles in the US, allowing the transaction to proceed.​

Next Steps

• The deal now awaits final customary closing and any additional regulatory checks before formal completion, which is anticipated by the end of 2025.​

• Ampere will continue developing next-generation Arm processors, supporting SoftBank’s ambitions in data center and enterprise AI sectors.​

This approval marks a significant consolidation in the AI and semiconductor ecosystem, reflecting SoftBank’s continued expansion in AI-centric infrastructure and enterprise compute markets.