San Diego, CA Qualcomm Incorporated announced on June 4, 2025, its definitive agreement to acquire Alphawave IP Group plc (Alphawave Semi), a global leader in high-speed wired connectivity and compute technologies. This strategic acquisition is poised to significantly accelerate Qualcomm's expansion into the highly competitive data center market, particularly for AI applications, by integrating critical assets and expertise.

The explosive growth in AI inferencing is fueling substantial demand for Qualcomm's high-performance, energy-efficient compute solutions, including its Oryon CPU and Hexagon NPU processors. Alphawave Semi's portfolio—comprising advanced IP, custom silicon, connectivity products, and chiplets—is highly complementary. Their technologies enable faster, more reliable data transfer with higher performance and lower power consumption, which are critical for next-generation services in data centers, AI networking, and data storage. Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm, noted that Alphawave Semi has developed “leading high-speed wired connectivity and compute technologies that are complementary to our power-efficient CPU and NPU cores.”

Intensifying Competition in AI Hardware

Tony Pialis, President and CEO of Alphawave Semi, described the merger as a “significant milestone” that presents an opportunity to “create a leading player in AI compute and connectivity solutions.” The acquisition, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2026. This move by Qualcomm underscores the fierce competition among semiconductor giants to capture the rapidly expanding AI hardware market. It reflects a broader industry trend where major tech companies are making significant acquisitions to control essential components of the AI stack, from chips to software and data infrastructure, positioning themselves as key enablers of the AI revolution.