TSMC Eyes Intel Foundry: Potential 20% Stake Deal

The Information reports that TSMC has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel to establish a joint venture, under which TSMC would assume operational control of Intel’s wafer foundry business. TSMC is expected to acquire approximately a 20% stake in the business, while the remaining majority will be held by Intel and various other stakeholders.

Previous reports indicated that before TSMC’s announcement of a $100 billion investment to expand advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, the company had proposed to NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom the idea of jointly forming a foundry venture with Intel. TSMC’s stake in the venture would remain below 50%, aligning with the U.S. government’s preference that Intel’s foundry operations not fall under foreign control, while also addressing the Trump administration’s push to revitalize Intel’s role in domestic chip production.

Current reports suggest that TSMC and Intel have reached an initial understanding in which TSMC will take over the operations of Intel’s foundry business. As part of the agreement, the two companies will share wafer fabrication technologies, and TSMC will train Intel engineers to implement these technologies.

However, negotiations are reportedly still underway, and no final agreement has been confirmed.

Some senior Intel executives have expressed concern that the deal could lead to internal layoffs and might necessitate the replacement or sale of existing manufacturing equipment.