Cloud and enterprise software developer Oracle has disclosed a $40m investment in US-based cloud server microprocessor developer Ampere Computing in a regulatory filing.
Ampere produces 64-bit microprocessors with energy-efficient architectures that are designed to run applications on cloud and edge-based computing systems, especially memory-intensive tasks involving technologies like artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning.
Renée J. James, Ampere’s founder, chairwoman and CEO, was president of semiconductor technology producer Intel between 2013 and 2016, and has been a board member of Oracle since 2015. The corporate has taken a board seat at Ampere in connection with the deal.
Arm, the semiconductor developer owned by telecommunications firm SoftBank, took part in a round of undisclosed size for Ampere in April 2019 that was led by private equity firm Carlyle Group and also backed by undisclosed additional investors.
Carlyle Group had already invested an undisclosed amount in Ampere when the startup emerged from stealth in February 2018, according to TechCrunch.
In addition to being an equity investor in Ampere, Oracle bought approximately $420,000 in hardware from the company in the 2019 fiscal year for use in development and testing, according to the filing.