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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →SoftBank Group agreed in March 2025 to acquire all equity interests in Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion in cash. The deal later closed on November 25, 2025, making Ampere a wholly owned SoftBank subsidiary. The announcement and the closing were separate events: the March agreement was still subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions.
What happened—and when did the deal close?
SoftBank entered the purchase agreement on March 19, 2025, U.S. time, and announced it the next day. At that point, the acquisition was conditional, including on U.S. antitrust clearance, approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and other customary closing conditions. SoftBank confirmed completion on November 25, 2025, U.S. time; Ampere then became wholly owned by SoftBank. SoftBank said Ampere’s results would be included in its consolidated financial statements from the acquisition date. (March 20 announcement; November 26 completion notice)
| Stage | Date | Status and ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement announced | March 20, 2025 (agreement dated March 19, U.S. time) | Conditional agreement to buy all equity interests; SoftBank disclosed an indirect 8.08% pre-existing interest. |
| Acquisition completed | November 25, 2025 (U.S. time) | Closed; Ampere became wholly owned by SoftBank. |
What was the $6.5 billion transaction?
SoftBank announced total cash consideration of $6.5 billion for all equity interests in Ampere Computing Holdings LLC. The announcement gave an approximate yen equivalent of ¥973.0 billion, calculated at the stated exchange rate of US$1 to ¥149.69. The yen amount is the announcement’s conversion, not a separate purchase price.
SoftBank said its subsidiary Silver Bands 6 (US) Corp. would acquire Ampere through purchases of interests in entities holding Ampere units, followed by a reverse triangular merger. The transaction was financed through a combination of internal funds and borrowings, according to SoftBank’s FY2025 financial report. (SoftBank FY2025 financial reports)
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Who sold Ampere to SoftBank?
Before the acquisition, SoftBank’s announcement listed three voting interests: Carlyle Partners VI Denver Holdings, L.P. held 59.65%, Oracle Project Denver Holdings LLC held 32.27%, and Arm Technology Investment Limited held 8.08%. SoftBank described that Arm-affiliate stake as its indirect pre-deal interest. After closing, SoftBank reported a 100% interest. Its FY2025 financial report identifies Carlyle, Oracle, and Arm as sellers; Ampere’s announcement specifically said Carlyle and Oracle were selling their positions. (SoftBank transaction announcement; Ampere announcement)
What does Ampere make?
Ampere is a U.S.-based semiconductor design company that develops processors using the Arm compute platform. SoftBank characterized its focus as high-performance, energy-efficient computing for AI. Ampere described its products as serving cloud workloads from edge deployments through cloud data centers, and its chief executive, Renée J. James, said the company would continue its AmpereOne roadmap for high-performance Arm processors and AI. (SoftBank transaction announcement; Ampere announcement)
Why did SoftBank buy Ampere?
SoftBank presented the acquisition as a way to strengthen its AI-computing capabilities and connect Ampere’s chip development with Arm’s design strengths. It cited Ampere’s approximately 1,000 semiconductor engineers and said Ampere could work with SoftBank group companies, investees, and business partners. Those were SoftBank’s stated rationale and expectations at announcement, not evidence that a particular integration or commercial outcome has since been achieved.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said, “The future of Artificial Super Intelligence requires breakthrough computing power.” Ampere CEO Renée J. James described the transaction as an opportunity to advance AI with SoftBank and its portfolio companies. These remarks reflect the parties’ public views when they announced the transaction, rather than an independent assessment of its results. (Ampere announcement)
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What do Ampere’s disclosed financial figures show?
In its March 2025 acquisition announcement, SoftBank reported the following historical figures for Ampere. They show a decline in revenue across the three fiscal years listed, alongside substantial operating losses. The figures are company financial data reported by SoftBank; they do not, by themselves, explain the purchase price or establish the value SoftBank expects to realize.
| Fiscal year ended December | Revenue | Operating loss |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $151.822 million | $518.290 million |
| 2023 | $46.704 million | $714.689 million |
| 2024 | $16.460 million | $510.623 million |
Source for all figures in the table: SoftBank Group’s March 20, 2025 acquisition announcement. (SoftBank transaction announcement)
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