Could $500 billion OpenAI-backed Stargate project be why Softbank shelled $6.5 bn for Ampere Computing

• SoftBank buying Ampere may signal shift from licensing to manufacturing
• Stargate project could benefit from Ampere’s experienced chip designers
• OpenAI lacks internal chip development team so that makes sense

Arm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, is set to acquire Ampere – Arm’s only independent server chip vendor – for $6.5 billion (approximately ¥973.0 billion).

It’s a big move, and one that could see Arm shift from simply licensing chip designs to manufacturing its own silicon. The move would put it in direct competition with its existing customers but also expand Arm’s footprint in the growing and highly lucrative data center space.