Intel shares jumped nearly 7% after the announcement|Chris Potter; puamelia|CC BY 2.0; CC BY-SA 2.0
SoftBank is investing $2 billion in Intel, giving the struggling US chipmaker a lifeline and making the Japanese conglomerate the sixth-largest shareholder with about a 2% stake.
Intel shares jumped nearly 7% after the announcement.
The deal aligns with the Trump administration’s plan to revive US semiconductor production, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed talks for the US government to take a 10% nonvoting stake in Intel using Chips and Science Act funds.
The investment could secure chip and AI hardware supply for SoftBank’s Stargate data-center venture and a proposed robotics hub in Arizona.
It also helps reduce SoftBank’s reliance on Asia while building capacity in America.
SoftBank already owns Arm Holdings and Ampere Computing, and recently bought a former Foxconn factory in Ohio to expand US AI and chip infrastructure.