acquisition Archives

Databricks acquires LLM pioneer MosaicML for $1.3B

Databricks has announced its definitive agreement to acquire MosaicML, a pioneer in large language models (LLMs).

This strategic move aims to make generative AI accessible to organisations of all sizes, allowing them to develop, possess, and safeguard their own generative AI models using their own data.

The acquisition, valued at ~$1.3 billion – inclusive of retention packages – showcases Databricks' commitment to democratising AI and reinforcing the...

28 June 2023 | Artificial Intelligence

Nvidia exits from its proposed $40B acquisition of Arm

Nvidia is walking away from its proposed $40 billion acquisition of British chip designer Arm.

The deal caught the attention of global regulators with anti-competition investigations launched in several jurisdictions including the UK, EU, and US.

In November 2021, UK Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries decided to block the merger pending the results of a 24-week ‘Phase 2’ investigation.

With the merger looking almost impossible to be approved by regulators,...

8 February 2022 | NVIDIA

Nvidia attempts to alleviate Arm merger concerns in CMA response

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published responses from Nvidia and Arm that aim to alleviate concerns around their proposed merger.

Nvidia announced plans to acquire Cambridge-based Arm back in September 2020 in a deal worth $40 billion. As two of the biggest names in chip manufacturing, the deal naturally caught the attention of competition regulators around the world.

In November 2021, UK Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries decided to block the...

11 January 2022 | NVIDIA

EU clears $19.7B Microsoft-Nuance deal without any small print

The EU has concluded Microsoft’s $19.7 billion acquisition of Nuance doesn’t pose competition concerns.

Nuance gained renown for originally creating the backend of that little old virtual assistant called Siri (you might have heard of it?)

The company has since continued to focus on building its speech recognition capabilities and has a number of solutions which span particular industries such as healthcare to general omni-channel customer experience...

22 December 2021 | Artificial Intelligence

FTC steps in to block Nvidia’s $40B acquisition of Arm

America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has become the first regulator to sue to block Nvidia’s acquisition of British chip designer Arm.

Arm plays a critical role in the global technology supply chain with its designs used for edge AI chips and processors for smartphones, tablets, desktops, and servers.

It’s of little surprise that Nvidia wants to bring Arm under its wing and is willing to pay $40 billion (£29 billion) for it.

Global regulators,...

3 December 2021 | Legislation & Government

EU launches antitrust probe into $40B Nvidia-Arm acquisition proposal

The European Commission is following the UK in launching its own antitrust probe into the proposed Nvidia-Arm acquisition.

Nvidia has put in a $40 billion offer to acquire Cambridge-based Arm, which designs a large proportion of the chips that end up in devices.

“AI is the most powerful technology force of our time and has launched a new wave of computing,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, when the acquisition was announced.

“In the years...

28 October 2021 | Legislation & Government

Apple bolsters its AI talent with Laserlike acquisition

Apple has announced the acquisition of AI company Laserlike to add to its growing roster of in-house talent.

Laserlike is known for its AI-powered app which makes it easier for users to follow news topics. Most notably, it was founded by former Google engineers.

Few people think of Apple as an AI leader. The firm’s closest rival, Google, has invested heavily in AI for many years (as much for its cloud and search businesses as mobile).

Apple is, therefore,...