SoftBank Group explored taking over Marvell Technology earlier this year in what would have been the semiconductor sector’s largest-ever transaction, Bloomberg reported. The Japanese conglomerate’s founder Masayoshi Son has examined Marvell as a target intermittently for years, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company approached Marvell several months ago but couldn’t agree on terms, Bloomberg said. The strategy involved combining the California-based chipmaker with Arm Holdings, the U.K. semiconductor designer that SoftBank controls with nearly 90% ownership.
Marvell’s market value stands at roughly $80 billion after a 16% decline this year, contrasting sharply with rivals Nvidia, Broadcom and Arm that have surged on AI enthusiasm. The data center chip specialist reported record quarterly revenue of $2 billion in its period ended Aug. 2.
Yet formidable obstacles loom beyond valuation. U.S. authorities may resist selling a domestic chipmaker to a Japanese firm despite close ties between Son and President Donald Trump. Management integration issues also remain unresolved, with Arm CEO Rene Haas at 63 years old while Marvell’s Matthew Murphy is in his early 50s, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
The exploration reflects Son’s broader push into AI infrastructure following investments in Ampere Computing and the $500 billion Stargate data center initiative.
