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.
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A series of signals from Washington, including congressional testimony, a U.S. Embassy statement and a senior diplomat's visit to Tbilisi, has given Georgia's ruling party reason to declare a diplomatic reset. But Washington's message is more nuanced than Tbilisi is suggesting.
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Armenia is set to receive a support package worth more than €50 million ($58.2 million) from the European Union (EU) after Russia, its largest trading partner, imposed restrictions on a range of Armenian exports.
Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain, power cuts and transport disruption across Japan on Wednesday (3 June) as it tracked towards the greater Tokyo region.
Police officers were pelted with missiles during violent clashes at a protest near the Southampton, UK, home of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa, as anger continued to grow over the handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Albania in recent days to protest against a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump.
An Iranian drone and missile attack struck Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday, injuring several people, damaging Terminal 1 and forcing flight diversions, Kuwaiti authorities said.
Armenia’s parliamentary election comes at a defining moment for the South Caucasus, a region reshaped by the Garabagh conflict and broader shifts in Russia-West relations. The outcome is increasingly seen as a signal of Armenia’s future foreign policy direction and the regional balance of power.
China has criticised planned maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines, arguing that the waters involved fall within an area where Beijing claims maritime rights and jurisdiction.
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend next month's NATO leaders' summit in Türkiye, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether he would take part in a gathering expected to focus on the future of the alliance.
All 27 European Union (EU) member countries have agreed to begin the first set of talks with Ukraine and Moldova about joining the political and economic bloc.
Germany's foreign minister Johann Wadephul has suggested that Berlin's strong backing of Ukraine and its close ties with Israel may have contributed to its failure to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
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