Qualcomm is in advanced talks to acquire Modular, an AI chip startup, for approximately $4 billion, up from a $1.6...

Qualcomm is in advanced talks to acquire Modular, an AI chip startup, for approximately $4 billion, up from a $1.6 billion valuation in September 2025, according to Bloomberg (Source). The deal, if completed, would significantly bolster Qualcomm's AI capabilities, particularly in the data center segment where it competes with NVIDIA. Multiple outlets corroborate the story, including Digitimes, which reports that Samsung Electro-Mechanics is already ramping FC-BGA production for Qualcomm's data center push (Source). This acquisition aligns with CEO Cristiano Amon's recent statements that 2026 will be the year of AI agents and that smart glasses and wearables will become key AI endpoints (Source). The Modular acquisition would give Qualcomm a dedicated AI chip design team and technology, accelerating its roadmap to challenge NVIDIA in inference and edge AI. Spillover effects include potential manufacturing wins for TSMC, a boost for ARM-based AI chips (Modular's likely architecture), and increased competition for Broadcom and Marvell in data center silicon.