On December 10, 2025, Qualcomm Inc. disclosed its acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems in the US without revealing the deal's financial terms or completion date. The company highlighted that the move would reinforce its global leadership in the RISC-V ecosystem and improve its CPU development capabilities, complementing its existing Oryon custom CPU team.
Strategic intent behind the acquisition
Ventana Micro Systems, founded in 2018, is recognized for its advanced RISC-V-based solutions, including the Veyron V2 chiplet platform built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 4nm and 3nm process technologies. This platform supports Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe), facilitating rapid integration of third-party chiplets and targeting data center, automotive, and edge computing markets, with product launches planned for early 2026.
Qualcomm's existing reliance on Arm's licensed technology remains significant, especially in supporting rich operating systems like Android and Microsoft Windows. Arm CPUs currently dominate Qualcomm's system-on-chip (SoC) designs, with RISC-V cores primarily serving as system controllers. This dependence has been the subject of legal disputes initiated by Arm against Qualcomm. The acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems signals Qualcomm's intent to gradually reduce its reliance on Arm's Cortex-A and Neoverse CPUs by advancing RISC-V-based processors capable of supporting rich operating systems through the RVA32 Profile.
Reducing Arm reliance and pushing into data centers
Ventana's RISC-V solutions, particularly the 64-bit RVA23 Profile-based Veyron V2 chiplet system, allow Qualcomm to explore alternatives to Arm's CPU intellectual property, whose licensing terms vary by customer and volume. Although recent litigation between Qualcomm and Arm has settled, future negotiations and strategies between the two companies remain uncertain, especially as Qualcomm increases its focus on open-source architectures.
Beyond diminishing Arm dependency, this acquisition enhances Qualcomm's position in the data center application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) market. Arm has traditionally held a dominant role in data center ASICs, but rising interest in open, flexible designs like RISC-V is shifting the landscape. This trend is exemplified by Meta Platforms Inc.'s reported 2025 attempt to acquire RISC-V startup Rivos.
Qualcomm's simultaneous acquisition of Alphawave Semi, an established player in high-speed interface silicon IP utilized in data center ASICs, demonstrates the company's broader ambition to enter the data center compute and networking markets. Alphawave's chiplet technologies provide Qualcomm with a platform to attract customers and expand rapidly in this sector. The integration of Ventana Micro Systems and Alphawave Semi therefore, indicates a coordinated strategy to build a comprehensive data center solution leveraging RISC-V architecture.
Broader strategic implications
While Qualcomm's acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems publicly centers on strengthening RISC-V capabilities and CPU design, the move also fits within a larger strategic push into data center ASICs and away from Arm's IP dominance. Qualcomm's evolving portfolio suggests a long-term plan to diversify its processor architecture sources and secure competitive advantages in emerging high-performance markets.
Qualcomm's RISC-V plan | |
Key event | Key development |
Snapdragon 865 launch | Integrated RISC-V CPU as a system control processor |
SIFIVE opens E21 core during COVID-19 | Accelerated adoption of RISC-V processors |
Launch of RISC-V Software Ecosystem (RISE) | Improved performance and power efficiency of RISC-V CPUs |
Bosch, Infineon, Nordic join Qualcomm RISC-V initiative | Strengthened global RISC-V ecosystem and commercial adoption |
Launch of Snapdragon X Elite RISC-V platform; compatible with Google Wear OS | Expanded RISC-V into wearables and consumer devices |
Qualcomm acquires Ventana Micro Systems | Enhanced RISC-V CPU development to complement Oryon architecture |
Source: DIGITIMES, January 2026
Article translated by Jingyue Hsiao and edited by Jerry Chen
