SoftBank has hired Goldman Sachs to explore both an initial public offering and a sale of U.K. chip designer Arm Holdings, according to people familiar with the matter.
SoftBank has been preparing to spin out Arm in an IPO but has recently begun exploring sale options after receiving interest from an outside party, said two people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.
Few companies could afford to buy all of Arm without intense regulatory scrutiny. Arm has found a niche as a neutral designer of the microprocessors that works with many of the largest equipment manufacturers, including the majority of the world’s smartphones. Apple, Samsung and Qualcomm all use Arm technology in various ways.
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