SoftBank has taken a $2 billion equity stake in Intel, becoming its sixth-largest shareholder as the U.S. chipmaker seeks to recover from mounting losses.
Intel will issue new common shares to accommodate the $2 billion (about £1.57 billion) investment from Japan’s SoftBank, which is acquiring the stock at $23 per share, the companies said on Monday. The move gives SoftBank an equity stake of just under 2%, according to an Intel spokesperson.
The Tokyo-based tech investor will not seek a seat on Intel’s board or commit to buying its chips, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. SoftBank’s holding will make it Intel’s sixth-largest shareholder, based on LSEG data.
Shares in Intel rose 5.6% in after-hours trading following the announcement, while SoftBank stock fell more than 5% in Tokyo on Tuesday.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said the investment “reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role.”
The deal comes as Intel attempts a turnaround after years of underperformance and strategic missteps that left it lagging in the fast-growing artificial intelligence chip market. The firm reported a loss of $18.8 billion in 2024 — its first annual loss since 1986.
Last week, reports emerged that the U.S. government is considering a 10% stake in Intel following a meeting between Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan and President Donald Trump. Tan’s appointment has drawn scrutiny over his previous ties to Chinese firms. However, the SoftBank deal is unrelated to that meeting, a source said.
SoftBank has made a series of large-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) related investments in 2025, including a $30 billion commitment to OpenAI and a $500 billion plan for the Stargate U.S. data centre project. On Monday, Taiwan’s Foxconn said it would manufacture data centre equipment with SoftBank in Ohio as part of the Stargate initiative.
SoftBank declined to provide further comment on the Intel deal when contacted by Reuters.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment