BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Nvidia on Wednesday filed for EU antitrust approval of its $54 billion takeover of British chip designer Arm, according to a submission on the European Commission website, kicking off a process likely to take several months.
The world’s biggest maker of graphics and AI chips announced the deal last year, triggering concerns in the semiconductor industry whether Arm can remain a neutral player licensing key intellectual property to customers and rivals.
Worried customers include Qualcomm Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc.
The European Commission can clear the $54 billion deal with or without concessions after its preliminary review or it can follow up with a four-month long investigation if it has serious concerns.
Britain’s competition watchdog has warned that the deal could damage competition and weaken rivals, and required a further lengthy investigation.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Kate Holton in London)
