SoftBank's acquisition of Ampere under FTC scrutiny
SoftBank's plan to buy chip designer Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion is under serious review by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC has asked for more info, which means the deal could be delayed—or even blocked—though it was originally set to close in the second half of 2025.
Why is this deal concerning to regulators?
Ampere makes processors that power AI and cloud servers—the tech behind everything from streaming to smart apps.
SoftBank already owns most of Arm, whose chip designs are everywhere, so this move would give them even more control in the AI chip world.
Regulators are worried about too much power ending up with one player, especially after previous SoftBank deals ran into antitrust trouble.
If you care about who shapes the future of tech, this is definitely worth keeping an eye on.