Arm, a British chip designer, is once more the talk of the town in South Korea after being identified as a potential target for a merger or acquisition by Samsung Electronics. SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son will visit South Korea next month to discuss potential cooperation or merger, according to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
"When he visits, he might have some offer (regarding an Arm deal). But I am not sure," "He informed the media upon his return from a two-week overseas business trip at Gimpo International Airport without going into further detail.
His final stop was in Britain, where the semiconductor and software design company is headquartered, reigniting long-running rumors that wealthy Samsung may be interested in purchasing Arm in order to strengthen its position as a top chipmaker and increase its competitiveness in a sector of growing strategic importance, according to the Yonhap news agency. However, Lee claimed that throughout his trip to Britain, he did not encounter Arm executives.
Son was cited as stating by an agency on Wednesday night, confirming his planned trip to Seoul for the first time in three years, "I want to discuss a strategic alliance for Arm with Samsung," For years, Samsung has been looking for fresh M&A agreements.
Han Jong-hee, vice chairman and co-CEO of Samsung Electronics, stated at CES 2022 that the business was carefully examining M&A potential in numerous industries.
"We are moving faster than you might think. We are open to every possibility, and I think we can deliver good news sooner or later," During that time, he said.
In 2016, Samsung, the largest memory chip and smartphone vendor in the world, completed its most significant M&A transaction when it paid $8 billion to acquire the connected automotive solutions company Harman International Industries of the United States.