Qualcomm quietly expands its AI data center reach with a new deal

Watch out, Nvidia - Qualcomm acquires Alphawave Semi in latest addition to its AI data center push News Efosa Udinmwen published Alphawave CEO to run Qualcomm’s data center business after acquisition Qualcomm completes Alphawave Semi acquisition roughly one quarter ahead of schedule Qualcomm adds high-speed wired connectivity assets through Alphawave Semi acquisition Alphawave Semi technologies will be integrated alongside Qualcomm’s Oryon and Hexagon chips Qualcomm has completed its acquisition of Alphawave Semi, closing the deal roughly one quarter earlier than initially projected. The transaction formally brings Alphawave Semi into Qualcomm’s structure as part of a broader effort to expand its position within AI-focused infrastructure markets. Alphawave Semi operates as a supplier of high-speed wired connectivity technologies, delivering custom silicon, connectivity products, and chiplet designs for moving large volumes of data. Expanding Qualcomm’s AI infrastructure footprint The acquisition places Alphawave Semi’s assets alongside Qualcomm’s existing processor roadmap, which includes the Oryon CPU and Hexagon NPU architectures. “Alphawave Semi’s expertise in high-speed connectivity technologies complements our Qualcomm Oryon CPU and Hexagon NPU processors,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “Qualcomm delivers high-performance, energy-efficient compute and AI solutions, and the addition of Alphawave’s technologies will strengthen our platforms and improve performance for next-generation AI data centers.” For Qualcomm, this deal combines compute capabilities with connectivity technologies under a single portfolio. Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! The goal is to expand Qualcomm’s relevance beyond traditional markets into enterprise and hyperscale environments. Alphawave Semi’s high-speed wired interconnects support workloads that rely on rapid movement of data between processing units, memory, and storage layers. Qualcomm has indicated that these technologies will complement its processor designs rather than operate as standalone offerings. The company aims to create platforms suitable for AI training and inference workloads deployed at scale. These developments align closely with broader infrastructure trends, including cloud hosting environments where latency, throughput, and power efficiency remain ongoing concerns. Data center hosting providers continue to invest in architectures that can scale horizontally without unsustainable energy costs. In this context, integrated connectivity and compute designs are increasingly treated as baseline requirements rather than optional enhancements. As part of the acquisition, Alphawave Semi’s chief executive officer and co-founder, Tony Pialis, will lead Qualcomm’s data center business. This leadership transition suggests operational continuity for Alphawave Semi’s technology direction while aligning it with Qualcomm’s corporate strategy. “Joining Qualcomm marks an exciting new chapter for Alphawave Semi,” Tony Pialis, CEO and co-founder of Alphawave Semi, said. “We’re ready to bring our leadership in high-speed connectivity and custom silicon to help shape the future of data center innovation.” The early completion of the deal may also signal internal prioritization, although Qualcomm has not shared specific deployment timelines or product integration plans. The acquisition alone does not clarify how quickly Qualcomm can translate these assets into competitive offerings at scale. The move broadens Qualcomm’s technical scope, but its impact will depend on execution, ecosystem...

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