ARM co-founder: the British government should not allow SoftBank to sell ARM to Nvidia

Recently, we reported that Japan’s Softbank Group plans to sell ARM, which it acquired in 2016, in whole or in part due to financial problems.

Earlier it was reported that the company that wanted to buy ARM was Apple, but later it was reported that Apple internally stated that it was not interested in companies that require long-term investment like ARM because the effectiveness of basic R&D work would have to wait many years before we can see if there is any fruitful thing.

Therefore, graphics card boss Nvidia seeks the acquisition of ARM. Nvidia’s profit and development momentum in recent years can be said to have grown by leaps and bounds, and it is hailed by media as the company most likely to surpass Intel to become the world’s most valuable chip manufacturer.

However, Hermann Hauser, the co-founder of ARM, said in a BBC interview that he did not want ARM to be sold to Nvidia, because he believed that ARM’s business model is very special, and its main business is to sell to all chip manufacturers. Its own patent authorization means that it will not have commercial competition with other chip manufacturers. It was originally sold to SoftBank Group because SoftBank Group itself is not a chip manufacturer, so it will not have an impact on ARM’s business partners.

Hermann Hauser said that if the ARM is sold to Nvidia, many of ARM’s existing customers will abandon ARM and look for other chip design solution providers. At the same time, since Nvidia’s R&D center has always been in the United States, he does not believe in Nvidia. Like SoftBank Group, he will make the commitment to keep the ARM R&D center in Cambridge, England. Therefore, once ARM is sold to Nvidia, Cambridge’s employment and technical strength will be greatly affected. Therefore, he believes that the British government should intervene in this matter. Can’t sell ARM to Nvidia.