Golden Ten Data, November 6 — According to informed sources, SoftBank Group considered acquiring U.S. chip manufacturer Marvell earlier this year. If the deal had gone through, it would have been the largest semiconductor industry merger and acquisition in history. Reports indicate that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has viewed Marvell as a potential target for years, as part of its strategic focus on artificial intelligence hardware.
Several months ago, SoftBank engaged in discussions with Marvell, but the two sides could not reach an agreement on the terms. Sources say that SoftBank originally planned to merge Marvell with Arm, the chip design company controlled by SoftBank. Although there are no current substantial negotiations underway, some believe SoftBank may revisit its interest in the future.
Marvell's stock has fallen 16% this year, with a market value of approximately $80 billion. In contrast, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Arm have all seen significant stock price increases this year, with Arm's current valuation around $170 billion.