Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteArm announced in July 2020 that it would separate its IoT services businesses to concentrate on semiconductor intellectual property. The plan was completed in stages in 2021: Arm distributed Treasure Data to shareholders in June and sold Pelion IoT to SoftBank Group Capital in November. Arm did not leave IoT; it stopped operating those two services businesses while continuing to develop and license technology used in IoT devices.
What Arm announced—and what it completed
On July 7, 2020, Arm said it intended to transfer its IoT Platform and Treasure Data businesses into new entities owned by SoftBank Group and affiliates. The announcement described a proposed change, not a completed transaction; the company expected the transfer to be finalized by September 2020, subject to conditions. The eventual legal steps took place in 2021. Arm’s July 2020 announcement and its later regulatory filing document the difference between the original plan and its completion.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Arm announced its acquisition of Treasure Data as part of its effort to build IoT data and services capabilities. Arm’s acquisition announcement |
| July 7, 2020 | Arm announced plans to separate its IoT Platform and Treasure Data businesses. |
| September 2020 | SoftBank said Arm’s IoT Services Group would be carved out before the proposed NVIDIA transaction. SoftBank’s statement |
| June 2021 | Arm distributed all equity interests in Treasure Data to its shareholders. |
| November 2021 | Arm sold Pelion IoT Limited and its subsidiaries to SoftBank Group Capital Limited. |
| 2022 | Pelion’s company history says it spun out from SoftBank and became independent. Pelion’s company history |
| June 2023 | Arm and a SoftBank Vision Fund subsidiary separately invested in Kigen, a different IoT-related business. |
Which businesses left Arm?
Pelion IoT
Arm’s 2020 announcement referred to the IoT Platform business; later filings call the disposed legal group Pelion IOT Limited and its subsidiaries, or “IoTP.” These labels refer to the same broad business. Pelion focused on IoT platform and connectivity-related services, rather than designing the processors inside connected devices.
Treasure Data
Treasure Data provided customer-data platform capabilities. Arm had acquired it in 2018 to support a broader IoT services offering that linked devices, connectivity and data. Unlike Pelion, Treasure Data was distributed to Arm shareholders; it was not sold to SoftBank for the Pelion sale price.
#1 Best Overall
- Advanced Dual-Core Processor: Features a 133 MHz ARM Cortex M0+ with 264KB SRAM and 2MB Flash for fast, flexible project development
- Extensive Software Support: Program easily for official Raspberry Pi C/C++ and MicroPython SDKs on Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi OS
- Rich Hardware Interfaces: Offers 30 GPIO pins, 4 analog inputs, and support for SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, and PWM for versatile connectivity
- USB-C powered and ready for diverse applications in DIY electronics, education, and prototyping
- Compact IoT Starter Kit: Ideal for beginners to experience IoT with the efficient RP2040 processor; robust performance and swift task completion
Why Arm shifted its focus
Arm’s stated aim was to concentrate on growth and profitability in its core semiconductor intellectual-property business and to support its processor and technology roadmap. It also said SoftBank’s experience with early-stage businesses could help the services operations develop, with scope for continued collaboration. Arm’s announcement sets out those stated reasons.
The business-model distinction helps explain the move. Arm develops processor architectures and related designs, licenses them to chip makers, and can earn royalties on chips that use Arm technology. Running IoT services, by contrast, involves customer support, cloud and platform operations, connectivity management and recurring service obligations. One reasonable strategic interpretation is that a company built around licensing semiconductor IP may prefer not to operate services higher in the technology stack, particularly when its customers may compete in those markets. That is analysis of the business models, not a disclosed explanation of every internal decision.
SoftBank owned Arm at the time, and the announced recipient entities were SoftBank-owned. The later distribution and sale were therefore not a conventional sale of both businesses to an unrelated buyer. They were part of a corporate reshaping within the SoftBank group.
Rank #2
- with pre-soldered header Raspberry Pi Pico. RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB. 26 × multi-function GPIO pins.
- 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.Accurate clock and timer on-chip.Temperature sensor.
- Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip.8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
What “focus on IP” means
Here, “IP” means semiconductor intellectual property: processor architectures, CPU designs and related technologies that customers use in chips and systems-on-chip. It does not mean that Arm was focusing on software subscriptions or patents in the abstract. Arm’s model combines licensing technology with royalties generated by Arm-based chips. SoftBank’s 2022 description of Arm’s strategy discusses processor investment, royalty value per chip and growth markets including automotive, IoT and infrastructure. SoftBank’s 2022 Arm strategy materials.
That focus is compatible with supplying technology for many end markets. Arm processor and system IP is used in smartphones, embedded systems, consumer electronics, automotive, infrastructure and IoT devices. The strategic change was about which parts of the IoT value chain Arm operated directly, not whether Arm technology could be used in IoT.
Financial figures: what they do and do not show
Arm’s filings reported approximately $44 million in net assets for Treasure Data at its distribution and approximately $12 million in net assets for Pelion IoT. Arm reported $12 million in cash consideration for the Pelion sale. These figures describe different accounting measures and transactions: the $12 million cash consideration was for Pelion, not the combined value of Pelion and Treasure Data, and net assets are not the same as sale proceeds or a standalone fair-market valuation. Arm’s filing with the net-asset figures and its filing on the sale consideration.
Rank #3
![Arduino Nano 33 IoT [ABX00027] - 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+, WiFi & Bluetooth, 256KB Flash, 32KB SRAM, Secure Element, 14 Digital I/O Pins, 6 Analog Inputs, Compatible with Arduino IDE for IoT Projects](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/4141WeQ85sL._SL160_.jpg)
- High-Performance 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ Processor: The Arduino Nano 33 IoT is powered by the SAMD21 ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, running at 48 MHz, providing efficient processing power for real-time and IoT applications.
- Integrated WiFi & Bluetooth Connectivity: Featuring the u-blox NINA-W102 module, this board offers seamless WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support, enabling easy communication with IoT devices, cloud platforms, and mobile apps.
- 256KB Flash Memory & 32KB SRAM: With 256KB of flash memory and 32KB SRAM, the Nano 33 IoT can support larger applications that require internet connectivity, data storage, and remote device management.
- Advanced Security Features: Equipped with a Secure Element (ATECC608A), the board provides enhanced security for IoT projects by protecting sensitive data and ensuring secure cloud communication.
- Fully Compatible with Arduino IDE: Easily program and prototype with the Arduino IDE, using built-in libraries and examples for WiFi, Bluetooth, cloud connectivity, and security protocols, making it perfect for edge computing, smart home, and industrial IoT applications.
Arm classified both businesses’ historical results as discontinued operations. It reported net losses from discontinued operations, including tax effects, of $156 million for fiscal 2021 and $127 million for fiscal 2022. Those historical losses provide context for the accounting treatment; by themselves, they do not establish that the divestiture caused an improvement in Arm’s later profitability. Arm’s later filings continued to describe the businesses as disposed assets. Arm’s 2024 Form 20-F.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Arm continued to pursue IoT technology
Arm’s continued IoT activity centered on the semiconductor platform and the tools around it. Its IoT-oriented work included Cortex-M processors, Corstone subsystems, security technology, developer support and virtual-development tools. Arm’s Total Solutions for IoT initiative and Arm Virtual Hardware were intended to help developers work with Arm-based systems before physical silicon was available. Arm’s announcement on virtual hardware and Total Solutions for IoT.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
| Arm retained or continued | Businesses separated |
|---|---|
| Processor and system IP, including IoT-oriented technologies | IoT platform and connectivity-service operations associated with Pelion |
| Semiconductor licensing and royalties | Customer-data platform operations associated with Treasure Data |
| Developer tools and silicon ecosystem programs | Direct operation of the two IoT Services Group businesses |
A later investment also shows why “Arm left IoT” is too broad. In June 2023, Arm and a SoftBank Vision Fund subsidiary each invested $10 million in Kigen, a separate company focused on SIM, eSIM and iSIM authentication. After that investment, Arm held approximately 12% and the SoftBank entity approximately 76% on a fully diluted basis. This was a distinct transaction, not a continuation of the Pelion or Treasure Data divestitures. Arm’s filing on Kigen and the disposals.
Rank #4
- Mainstream Mixed signals MCUs ARM Cortex-M4 core with DSP and FPU, 512 Kbytes Flash, 72 MHz CPU, MPU, CCM, 12-bit ADC 5 MSPS, PGA, comparators
- On-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer with SWD connector
- Can be powered from USB.
- Three LEDs, Two Push-buttons
- Support of wide choice of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) including IAR, ARM Keil, GCC-based IDEs
What happened to Pelion afterward?
Pelion’s own company history says it spun out from SoftBank in 2022 and became an independent business backed by Scottish Equity Partners. Its current positioning is as an IoT connectivity provider, with managed connectivity, eSIMs, SIM-fleet management and enterprise services. Those are Pelion’s descriptions of its present offering, not Arm products. Pelion’s history and Pelion’s current site.
The separation also had trade-offs. Arm gave up direct ownership of data, device-management and connectivity assets that might have let it capture more service revenue from IoT deployments. Separating the businesses could make an integrated customer proposition less seamless and leave customers with questions about contracts, support and product roadmaps. On the other hand, the change let Arm concentrate on its IP model while the service operations could pursue their own direction. The available filings establish the disposals, but do not prove that the strategy produced a particular financial outcome.
What the change meant for Arm’s strategy
Arm’s 2020 decision is best understood as a change in role, not an abandonment of IoT. Arm narrowed its direct participation in IoT services and emphasized the semiconductor technologies that device makers and chip designers could use. Pelion and Treasure Data left Arm through different transaction structures, and Pelion later became independent. Arm continued to invest in IoT-facing processor technology and ecosystem tools, as well as making a separate investment in Kigen.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
