Nvidia Will Look To Get EU Approval For $54B Arm Deal

Nvidia is likely to seek EU antitrust approval for its US$54 billion takeover of British chip designer Arm early next month, with regulators expected to launch a full-scale investigation after a preliminary review, people familiar with the matter said.

The world’s biggest maker of graphics and AI chips announced the Arm deal last year, sparking an immediate backlash in the semiconductor industry.

Arm has long been a neutral player licensing key intellectual property to customers who are otherwise intense rivals, including Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Apple.

However, Nvidia stated it has garnered the support of Arm customers Broadcom, MediaTek, and Marvell, according to a presentation on its website.

A request to the European Commission for approval of the deal will kick off a 25-working day preliminary review. Nvidia is unlikely to offer concessions during this period, the sources said, which will then prompt a 90-working day full-scale EU investigation.

Related: UK’s CMA Says Nvidia’s Takeover Of Arm Raises Competition Concerns

Sources previously told Reuters in June that Nvidia may not be able to meet a March 2022 deadline for closing its deal due to European regulators’ reluctance to consider the case until after the summer holidays. 

The Financial Times reported earlier that the European Union was set to launch a formal competition probe into the planned takeover early next month.

Britain’s competition regulator announced last week that the deal could damage competition and weaken rivals, and required a further lengthy investigation.

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