Which Japanese conglomerate acquired ARM Holdings in 2016?

SoftBank acquired ARM Holdings in 2016.

ARM was a British semiconductor and software-design company best known for creating energy-efficient processor architectures. Rather than manufacturing chips itself, ARM licensed its designs to companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung, making it a crucial supplier to the mobile-device industry.

SoftBank Group announced an agreed offer on July 18, 2016, valuing ARM at £23.4 billion, or about US$32 billion. The deal was completed on September 5, 2016. SoftBank’s founder and chief executive, Masayoshi Son, described ARM as a strong fit with the company’s long-term interest in the Internet of Things.

A common mix-up is confusing the acquirer with ARM’s major licensees. Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm used ARM-based technology, but none acquired ARM in 2016. The transaction also preceded SoftBank’s later transfer of a 25% ARM stake to its Vision Fund in 2017.