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SoftBank Puts $457 Million Into Graphcore to Bolster AI Chip Ambitions

The move positions Graphcore as a core asset in SoftBank’s push to build a homegrown AI chip and compute platform.

Overview

  • Graphcore issued a single share worth $457 million on April 10, a UK filing shows, and the company confirmed the cash came from SoftBank.
  • The deal ties the British IPU chip maker into SoftBank’s plan to build an AI hardware stack across Arm, Ampere Computing, and large compute projects with OpenAI and Oracle.
  • A person familiar with the arrangements said this transfer covers only part of the funding Graphcore expects from SoftBank this year.
  • Graphcore is ramping growth with a planned £1 billion campus in Bengaluru that would add hundreds of jobs in chip design, software, and systems engineering.
  • SoftBank shares edged lower after the announcement as investors weighed heavy spending and the risk of turning Graphcore’s technology into steady sales.