Qualcomm to Acquire Alphawave for $2.4 Bn to Boost AI Data Centre Push
The deal is expected to close in early 2026 and is not expected to face major regulatory hurdles
U.S. chip giant Qualcomm has agreed to acquire British semiconductor firm Alphawave for $2.4 billion, marking a major step in its push into the AI-driven data centre market.
The all-cash deal, announced Monday, will see Alphawave shareholders receive 183 pence per share — a 96% premium on its March 31 closing price. Shares of Alphawave surged over 22% on the news, while Qualcomm stock rose nearly 4%.
Alphawave designs high-speed connectivity tech for data centers, aligning with Qualcomm’s goal to diversify beyond smartphones.
The San Diego-based firm is looking to reduce its reliance on mobile chips, particularly as Apple shifts to its own processors.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the acquisition brings complementary wired connectivity and compute technologies to its portfolio.
The deal is expected to close in early 2026 and is not expected to face major regulatory hurdles, following Alphawave’s exit from its Chinese JV, WiseWave.
Qualcomm will unveil its Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 SoC earlier than usual at the Snapdragon Summit from September 23–25 in Hawaii.
The event may also feature Snapdragon X Elite 2 laptop chips, though their launch could be delayed until 2026.
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