By Fanny Potkin, Milana Vinn and Wen-Yee Lee
Singapore/New York/Taipei (Reuters) – TSMC has American chip designers NVIDIA, advanced advanced micro devices and Broadcom about taking interests in a joint venture that would serve the Intel factories, according to four sources that are familiar with the issue.
According to the proposal, the Taiwanese chipping giant would carry out the activities of Intel's Foundry Division, which adjusts chips for the needs of customers, but it would not have more than 50%, according to the sources. Qualcomm has also been pitched by TSMC, according to one of the sources and a separate source.
The conversations, which are at an early stage, come after the government of US President Donald Trump TSMC, the world's leading contract chip maker, has asked to reverse the troubled American industrial icon, said the sources on the condition of anonymity because the conversations are not public.
The details of the plan for TSMC to take no more than 50% interest and the overtures for potential partners are reported for the first time.
Any final deal – whose value is unclear – would need approval from the Trump administration, which does not want Intel or its foundry department to be completely abroad, according to the sources.
Intel, TSMC, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm refused to comment. The White House and Broadcom did not respond to requests for comments.
At stake is the future of American chipping giant, whose shares have lost more than half of their value in the past year.
Intel reported a net loss of 2024 of $ 18.8 billion, the first since 1986, driven by major limitations. The ownership and factory equipment of the Foundry Division had a book value of $ 108 billion as of December 31, according to a company application.
Trump wants to breathe new life into the fortunes of Intel, while he wants to stimulate American advanced production, according to three of the sources.
The sources said that the joint venture -Pitch from TSMC was made for potential donors before the Taiwanese chip maker announced on March 3 with Trump on March 3 that the company was planning to make a new $ 100 billion investment in the United States, including five extra chip facilities.
The conversations about the Joint Venture about Intel's Foundry Division have since continued, said the three sources, with TSMC as a partner want more than one chip designer.
Several companies have shown interest in buying parts of Intel, but two of the four sources said that the American company has rejected discussions about the sale of his chip design house separately from the Foundry Division.
