SoftBank in advanced talks to acquire chip designer Ampere Computing LLC

Japan's SoftBank Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire chip design company Ampere Computing LLC, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential value of the deal is about $6.5 billion (about 47.29 billion yuan), including debt. The deal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. SoftBank and its controlled chip design company Arm have previously expressed interest in acquiring Ampere. Although the negotiations have entered the late stages, they may still be delayed or canceled. Ampere's early investors also include private equity firm Carlyle Group. If the acquisition is successful, Ampere will become a chip company that takes advantage of the boom in artificial intelligence spending.