Bristol-based chip firm Graphcore has been acquired by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank for an undisclosed fee.
Graphcore, which specialises in intelligent processing units for AI applications, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank and will continue to operate under its original branding.
“This is a tremendous endorsement of our team and their ability to build truly transformative AI technologies at scale, as well as a great outcome for our company,” said Graphcore co-founder and CEO Nigel Toon.
“Demand for AI compute is vast and continues to grow. There remains much to do to improve efficiency, resilience, and computational power to unlock the full potential of AI.”
The company was first reported to be in talks with SoftBank in February by the Telegraph.
The publication also reported sources were concerned the deal would be delayed due to government scrutiny under the National Security and Investment Act.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment on specific cases, however, told UKTN it welcomes foreign investment where it supports the UK but will not hesitate to intervene when concerns are identified.
Graphcore declined to comment.
Slashed valuation
According to reporting from Sifted, the value of some Graphcore employee shares has been wiped out by the deal. This was said to be because the sale price of the company, reportedly $500m, is less than the more than $700m investment raised by the company. The company was valued at $2.8bn in December 2020.
Graphcore burst onto the tech scene in 2016, securing over $300m in funding in its first three years.
Said at times to be the UK’s answer to US chip behemoth Nvidia, its acquisition by SoftBank echoes the Japanese group’s takeover of Cambridge chip firm Arm in 2016.
Speaking to the UKTN Podcast in October last year, Toon said that Nvidia has an “almost monopoly position” and that the market needs alternatives.
After widening losses, a lost deal with Microsoft, and several valuation writedowns from investors, Graphcore will be seeking stability under its new ownership.
“With SoftBank’s extensive reach, this deal could provide Graphcore with the resources needed to compete on a global scale,” said Scott Constable, alliance director at Vesper Technologies, a Manchester-based data centre infrastructure company.
Vikas J. Parekh, managing partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, said: “Society is embracing the opportunities offered by foundation models, generative AI applications and new approaches to scientific discovery.
“Next-generation semiconductors and compute systems are essential in the AGI journey, we’re pleased to collaborate with Graphcore in this mission.”
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