Qualcomm Inks Deal for AI Startup Modular to Bolster Software Stack, Data Center Build-Out
Qualcomm said Modular’s software will help developers run AI across CPUs, GPUs and custom chips as it targets more data-center customers.
- On Wednesday, Qualcomm president and CEO Cristiano Amon announced the company is acquiring infrastructure startup Modular for just under $4 billion to boost its artificial intelligence software capabilities.
- Qualcomm is expanding its data center presence as demand for AI infrastructure surges, leveraging Modular's proprietary coding language that lets developers write AI software for diverse chips without rewriting code.
- Reuters valued the deal at $3.92 billion, which includes $300 million for Modular's 150 employees, including cofounders Chris Lattner and Tim Davis, who are expected to join Qualcomm.
- Lattner and Davis founded Modular in 2022 after working on Google's TPU chips; Lattner previously led Tesla's Autopilot program and created Apple's Swift language, stating they tackled a "structural" software problem.
- This acquisition strengthens Qualcomm's competitive position against Nvidia's CUDA and AMD's ROCm systems, following the company's acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems last year to bolster its server CPU portfolio.
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Qualcomm Acquires AI Startup Modular for $4 Billion
Qualcomm, a semiconductor company best known for its snapdragon chips, will acquire AI software startup Modular for around $3.92 billion, the two companies announced Tuesday. The San Diego-based Qualcomm expects to issue 19.2 million shares to Modular’s equity holders in the all-stock transaction. “Together, we can make AI development more accessible and performant for developers, strengthen portability across hardware, and help grow an open eco…
Qualcomm stock jumps 15% on deal to make AI chips for Meta's data centers
Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon speaks on Wednesday. (Photo from Qualcomm live stream) Qualcomm‘s stock rose as much as 15% in after-hours trading Wednesday after it announced a deal to supply Facebook-parent Meta with AI chips. The San Diego-based wireless pioneer said its new Dragonfly C1000 chip will power Meta’s next generation of data centers. “We’re excited to continue partnering with Qualcomm Technologies as they design the next…
Qualcomm claims it's not too late for Dragonfly to land in datacenters
We knew it was coming, but now it's official: Qualcomm is making a major push into the datacenter market. And though it is late to the game, the mobile-chip giant believes it can make an impact by delivering a lower total cost of ownership and better performance per watt than rival platforms. It has to go somewhere, and the company is already dominating the chip space elsewhere, Qualcomm's datacenter EVP and GM Tony Pialis said during the compan…
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