14/09/2020 Nvidia compra ARM por 40 mil milhões

Na Coreia do Sul noticiam que a Samsung quer uma pequena participação na ARM, entre 3 a 5%, numa compra que seria feita num consorcio. A noticia também diz que a Softbank procura vender por mais de 41 mil milhões de $ e que a venda da ARM à nVidia é pouco provável, por causa de ter que ter aprovação dos reguladores.

Samsung Electronics is set to join the acquisition race for the British semiconductor company Arm, which has been put up for sale by its current owner SoftBank, but the Korean tech giant will try to participate in the bid in the form of equity investment, obtaining a small stake in the chip-designing firm, according to a top official in the semiconductor industry here, Monday.

"Samsung Electronics is considering acquiring a small stake in Arm, which will be between 3 percent and 5 percent," said the top industry official, who requested to remain anonymous. "Arm will be acquired by a consortium led by multiple parties from the semiconductor industry given the complex nature of Arm's shareholding structure."

Recently, some suggested that Nvidia, a U.S.-based graphics chip maker, would become the sole suitor for Arm, but the top official said it is unlikely because it will be difficult for the graphics chip maker to win approval from the various fair trade commissions in semiconductor powerhouse regions: the U.S., the EU, and East Asia ― Japan, China and Korea.

The official also expressed doubt whether Nvidia has sufficient financial firepower to become an independent acquirer of Arm given SoftBank reportedly wants to sell Arm based on a valuation of over $41 billion.

"Nvidia won't become the sole suitor for Arm as the company needs to win approvals from fair trade authorities in countries that are doing business with the British company. I think it will be difficult for Nvidia to gain approval from any of those authorities," he said.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2020/08/133_293819.html

A noticia tem mais info.
 
É o problema mais apontado: a ARM é um empresa de licenciamento, ficar nas mãos de uma das licenciadas é mais uma potencial MIPS -> SGI.
 
Mas isto a avançar não tem de passar pela a aprovação das entidades q regulam o mercado ?

Espero q pelo menos não deixem de apostar no desenvolvimento dos cores e respectivo IP logo agora que o ARM está com uma boa tração.... seria uma pena
 
Tenho imensas dúvidas q os reguladores europeus deixassem a nvidia comprar a ARM. Já os de US com tanta cena estranha que deixam passar não garanto nada especialmente quando o trump quer centralizar o máximo com empresas americanas (a cena do tik tok é só ridícula).
 
Todos baixam as calças ao governo chines para poderem operar na China, acho muito bem que alguém comece a fazer frente à China e comecem a fazer o que a China faz aos outros. Querem operar na América ou Europa, os datacenters, engenharia, sede, etc tem de ficar localizados nesses países.

Ps: sorry pelo pequeno offtopic
 
Alegamente a TSMC e a Foxconn mostraram interesse na venda da ARM, mas o artigo não diz se seria na compra total ou parcial.

HONG KONG/TAIPEI -- Key Apple suppliers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Foxconn are among the companies showing interest in a possible investment in U.K.- based chip designer Arm Ltd., according to people familiar with the discussions.

Representatives of SoftBank Group, which bought Arm four years ago for $32 billion, and bankers have contacted several tech giants for a possible sale of Arm. In addition to TSMC, the world's biggest contract chipmaker, and Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, these include Apple, Qualcomm, the leading mobile chip developer, and Nvidia, the biggest graphic processor chip developer, sources said.

Arm is a crucial player in the global tech industry, providing the chip blueprints used in more than 90% of the world's mobile chips. Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, Huawei and almost all chip developers need Arm's intellectual property if they are designing processor chips for mobile devices.


Some companies, including TSMC, Foxconn and Nvidia, were given select financial data and projections prepared by Arm to evaluate a potential acquisition or investment, sources told the Nikkei Asian Review.

Two of those people said TSMC and Foxconn showed some interest, while Nvidia is in more advanced talks and wants to acquire Arm outright, rather than just picking up a large stake. Apple has evaluated it and stepped away, sources said. Samsung, meanwhile, has said reports that it was considering buying a small stake in Arm were "groundless," according to Reuters.

The Financial Times previously reported that Nvidia was in advanced talks with SoftBank to buy Arm in a deal that will be worth more than $32 billion. TSMC and Foxconn, which are more inclined to take a stake or, in the case of an acquisition, join a consortium, are monitoring how the talks with Nvidia evolve, sources said.

A sale of Arm is just one option being considered by SoftBank, which has also explored a relisting of the chipmaker as early as next year. Other alternatives include selling stakes to a group of investors or companies, the people said. SoftBank is also considering retaining a stake in the U.K. chip designer if it is sold or floated, the Nikkei reported earlier.

One person said that some bankers even talked to Chinese companies including Beijing-backed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co., China's top contract chipmaker, though the chances of any transaction was negligible amid the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.

"TSMC and Foxconn are closely monitoring how the talks between SoftBank and Nvidia progress," a source familiar with the deal said. "The two are still interested but are balking at a full acquisition."

TSMC studied Arm and its business model several years ago and is quite familiar with the U.K. company, another source with knowledge of the matter said.

"The company is always quite cautious in terms of big acquisitions and investments ... And in fact they also take into account whether the company could face strict regulatory reviews given the political climate currently," the person said. Another source close to the company said TSMC is not currently evaluating or looking into proceeding with any meaningful move.

Arm's biggest client in China is Huawei Technologies, leaving the U.K. company in an awkward position when the smartphone maker was put on a U.S. trade blacklist in May 2019.

TSMC is likewise caught in the U.S.-China crossfire due to Washington's hostility toward Huawei, which is also one of its major customers.

Arm and TSMC are longtime partners, together helping their customers test whether their latest manufacturing nanotechnology can be applied to mobile chips built using Arm's IP and infrastructure blueprints.

Foxconn, which owns chip design capabilities, is also evaluating a potential investment in Arm, sources said. The biggest iPhone assembler is aggressively looking for future growth drivers after seeing its third consecutive annual net profit decline in 2019.

Semiconductor technology is one of the three key areas that Foxconn aims to focus on in the next five years, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu has said.

It was not immediately clear if SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has personally approached Foxconn. Son and Foxconn founder Terry Gou have been close friends for years and the Taiwanese tech giant is an investor in the Japanese company's Vision Fund. Son came to Taiwan last year for a forum hosted by Gou when the latter was running for the island's presidency. Son told reporters at the time that he planned to relist Arm in the next five years.

"Many tech industry bosses are being approached," another person familiar with the matter said. "SoftBank is eager to find new investors as they have their own financial issues and they want to do it as soon as possible. They of course don't want to face another write-down."

SoftBank's aggressive attempt to sell stakes in Arm comes as the Japanese titan faces its own financial troubles, including the hefty write-down of WeWork.

Arm, meanwhile, is locked in a bitter boardroom fight with its Chinese unit, which SoftBank gave up control of in 2018. Arm China took over all of Arm's operations and clients in China in April 2018, but is now openly feuding with its U.K. parent over management issues.

SoftBank and Arm declined to comment.

TSMC said the company currently does not have any plan to invest in Arm, but did not respond to Nikkei's query on whether the chipmaker was approached by SoftBank.

Foxconn did not respond to requests for comment.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Key-Apple-suppliers-approached-for-possible-Arm-sale

As duas são empresas de Taiwan e fornecedoras da Apple.
 
A solução mais fácil será sempre um grupo alargado de empresas assumirem parte do capital z precisamente para evitar o escrutínio das Autoridades.

Quem é que garante que a China não vetaria uma oferta de aquisição?
Já o fez no caso Qualcomm-NXP.
 
Por ele ter direito a manter a sua posição pela lei, não quer dizer que a o governo chinês o apoie ou concorde com isso, pelo menos publicamente, visto que isso tem consequências dada a visibilidade e modelo de negócio da empresa. A ARM não produz nada "físico". É uma empresa de IP.
Em relação à empresa mãe conhecer ou não a lei, a China é um mercado atraente por uma série de factores. Mesmo que conheçam a lei e acredito que conheçam, as empresas estão dispostas a correr riscos devido à atractividade do mercado chinês. Não é a primeira vez que uma empresa externa tem graves problemas depois de ter entrado no mercado chinês. Há um caso recente com a Micron (2018?), uma empresa que tem sede nos Estados Unidos.


Estás a dizer o mesmo que eu!
A lei é a lei, o governo chinês não tem que tomar nenhuma posição, só tem que fazer cumprir a lei. Se quiserem, claro.

Agora qualquer empresa que se meta na China conhecendo a lei porque tem esperança que o governo não a faça cumprir, porque dá má imagem… isso para mim é ingenuidade ou estupidez.
 
Naturalmente que as empresas estão a par do enquadramento legal da China e sabem que na verdade isso pouco interessa porque o estado em última análise vai proteger os interesses próprios acima de tudo. Previsto ou não na lei, a lei muda-se facilmente.

O mercado chinês é gigante ao ponto de problemas deste gênero assumirem um plano secundário e "custos" de operar por lá.

Este assunto pouco mais é do que curioso e embaraçoso para a ARM. A sucursal chinesa não tem qualquer relevância sem a propriedade intelectual que é passada a cada geração e o respectivo suporte aos clientes locais. Basta a casa mãe fechar a torneira e abrir outra ao lado, essa sim com canais abertos e volta tudo ao normal.
 
O enquadramento legal é relevante em países que são Estados de direito coisa que a China não é.
O enquadramento legal na China é estar de bem com o poder.
 
Alegadamente, a nVidia está mais perto de finalizar o negócio, como único comprador. Alegadamente, é a única empresa a negociar a compra e o negócio pode ser finalizado no final do verão.
Parece que a Softbank sondou primeiro a Apple e depois um consórcio que incluía a Qualcomm, Samsung e a nVidia.
Aparentemente, a Softbank estará a pedir 52 mil milhões de $ pela ARM. Mais 20 mil milhões do que pagou em 2016, quando comprou a ARM.

EXCLUSIVE: US chipmaker Nvidia closing in on deal to buy Arm by the end of the summer

THE race to buy up British tech giant ARM is hotting up with US chipmaket Nvidia entering exclusive talks, it emerged today.

Sources said a takeover, which could value the company which supplies technology to Apple at up to £40 billion, is on course to be complete by the end of the summer.

Cambridge-headquartered chip designer Arm was first put up for sale by its private equity Japanese owner Softbank back in April when Goldman Sachs was hired to sound out buyers.

Softbank was struggling and had posted heavy losses after trophy investments such as WeWork failed.

In April, Goldman approached Apple, which decided against buying the business. The bank then tried to put together a consortium including, Qualcomm, Samsung and Nvidia who would all take stakes in Arm, the Evening Standard understands.

But California based Nvidia has emerged as the sole interested buyer.

It is understood Softbank founder Masayoshi Son wants around £40 billion for the business, more than the £24 billion paid in 2016.

The deal may be looked harshly on by the British government who insisted Softbank keep Arm’s headquarters in the UK and increase the domestic workforce in 2016. It is unclear whether these measures would remain under Nvidia.

A deal could also cause tensions in the trade negotiations between the UK and Japan. The UK is looking to secure a quick trade deal with Japan ahead of leaving the European Union for good next year.

All parties declined to comment.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/nividia-buy-chipmaker-arm-a4524761.html
 
O artigo é paywalled, mas parece que o acordo entre a nVidia e a Softbanck para a compra da ARM, pode ser fechado para a semana, por 40 mil milhões de $.

SoftBank Nears $40 Billion Deal to Sell Arm Holdings to Nvidia
Union of Arm, Nvidia would create a powerhouse in the chip industry

SoftBank Group Corp. is nearing a deal to sell British chip designer Arm Holdings to Nvidia Corp. for more than $40 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest in a series of big asset sales by the Japanese technology conglomerate.

The cash-and-stock deal being discussed would value Arm in the low $40 billions, the people said. The terms under discussion would mark a big win for SoftBank, which bought Arm four years ago for $32 billion and had struggled to jump-start growth in the business.

Arm and Nvidia have been in exclusive talks for several weeks and a deal could be sealed early next week, the people said—assuming it isn’t derailed at the last minute.

Arm designs microprocessors that power most of the world’s smartphones. By joining forces with Nvidia, the combined company would be a powerhouse in the chip industry.

Nvidia is a fast-growing industry player whose chips are used to run the intense calculations for graphics—and play a key role in videogaming, cloud-computing and other activities for which the coronavirus pandemic has stoked demand. That has sent its shares up more than 100% this year, making it the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 index.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/softba...o-nvidia-for-more-than-40-billion-11599928360

Sendo um artigo do WSJ, é bastante provável que vá acontecer mesmo, a não ser que algo faça descarrilar o negócio.
Será curioso ver os termos e que é que os reguladores vão fazer.
 
Parece-me que ou os reguladores impõem bastante remédios ou então o modelo de negócio da ARM como até agora vai acabar por morrer e passar a ser arquitectura mais exclusiva da Nvidia.

Uma empresa como a Qualcomm, que lucra em grande parte do licenciamento fazia mais sentido, mesmo que deixasse de vender os Snapdragon.

A Nvidia não me parece que vá funcionar bem em termos de manter o mesmo modelo de negócio.

Vamos ver.
 
Nvidia Announces ARM Acquisition for $40 Billion

After months of speculation and reports yesterday that a deal was imminent, Nvidia announced today that it is acquiring ARM Limited from SoftBank in a transaction valued at $40 billion. The press release states that SoftBank "will remain committed to Arm’s long-term success through its ownership stake in NVIDIA, expected to be under 10 percent," implying that Nvidia will gain full control of ARM.

ARM will remain headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and Nvidia announced that it will expand ARM's R&D presence there in a new AI research and education center that will house an ARM/Nvidia-powered AI supercomputer for research.

Nvidia also stated that it will remain committed to ARM's open licensing model and customer neutrality, all while expanding ARM's IP licensing portfolio with Nvidia technology. According to the press release, ARM licensees have already shipped over 180 billion chips based on the architecture, making the addition of Nvidia IP to that portfolio an enticing proposition.
 
A Nvidia vai ficar um colosso (ainda mais).

Esperemos que o desenvolvimento do ARM melhore bastante daqui para a frente, pelo menos meios para isso a Nvidia tem.
 
Epa... Isto tem tudo para dar uma confusão dos diabos e quase de certeza vai andar a levar em cima com reguladores de mercado e processos de monopolismo.

Ficam aqui tantas dúvidas...

Qual a verdadeira intenção da nvidia? Actualmente anda em carros, placas de processamento de small form factor para robótica, boxs de TV com as shield e na consola switch. Vai expandir? Tentar fazer uma de apple e tentar entrar no mercado windows com arm como anda a tentar a qualcomm?

Vai andar a impingir ip de gráficas nvidia nos licenciamentos?

O que vai acontecer às Mali?

O que vai acontecer nos licenciamentos futuros do ISA e IP e desenhos ARM?

Vão mudar o nome da ARM tal como fizeram com a melanox?

Honestamente tenho um mau feeling acerca desta aquisição.
 
Os pontos que achei interessantes na noticia da Forbes:

Licensing model: continue to operate its open-licensing model while maintaining its global customer neutrality

Quero ver como é que isto fica garantido.

Huang told me that first thing that the combined company will do is to, “bring NVIDIA technology through Arm’s vast network.” So I’d expect NVIDIA GPU and NPU IP to become available quickly to smartphone, tablet, TV and automobile SoC providers as quickly as possible.

Acho que é fácil perceber o que é que vai acontecer às Mali.

  • More “big-core” Arm datacenter general-purpose processors
  • Bigger CPU, GPU, NPU, and networking datacenter combinations
  • CPU-GPU-NPU combination with shared memory systems for the HPC market
  • NVIDIA-based smartphone and tablet GPU/NPU IP
  • Arm-based SoC for Windows notebooks
  • Arm-based big core CPU for highest-performance Windows desktops

De notar que 3 pontos estão relacionados com Datacenter e 2 com Windows.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/patric...-create-what-could-be-a-computing-juggernaut/
 
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