Acquisition aims to expand Qualcomm’s software capabilities for data center and edge AI markets beyond smartphone chips.
Qualcomm will acquire AI software startup Modular in an all-stock transaction valued at $3.92 billion. The deal includes up to 19.2 million newly issued Qualcomm shares for Modular’s equity holders and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
Modular develops software enabling AI models to run across various hardware architectures without code rewrites, supporting CPUs, GPUs, NPUs, and custom chips. The acquisition is part of Qualcomm’s strategy to deepen its software expertise in data center AI, targeting inference, orchestration, and deployment across distributed systems.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon stated the move aligns with industry shifts toward multi-vendor architectures requiring open software foundations. Modular’s platform is designed to attract developers, cloud providers, and AI model creators seeking hardware flexibility.