Report: The sale process of Altera's chip business is advancing, and Intel has identified the next round of potential buyers

On December 19th, Thursday, Eastern Time, Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the matter stating that Intel has streamlined the list of potential buyers for its programmable chip division, Altera. Currently, private equity firms Francisco Partners, Silver Lake, and Lattice Semiconductor have entered the next round of bidding, while Apollo and Bain Capital are also interested in acquiring Altera. Intel plans to request formal bids from bidders by the end of January. However, sources also indicated that there may be other buyers joining the bidding, and there is also the possibility that a deal may ultimately not be reached. Altera is Intel's division specializing in low-power programmable chip design. The process of selling Altera was initially initiated by former CEO Pat Gelsinger. Although Gelsinger left without a long-term CEO in place, Intel is still firmly advancing this plan. It is noteworthy that Intel has long maintained its position as the world's largest chip manufacturer, holding the top spot in industry revenue for nearly 30 years. However, in recent years, the company has faced numerous challenges, including intensified competition and slow technological progress. Some analysts believe that Intel's progress in other strategic initiatives remains insufficient. However, the advancement of the Altera sale process may help the company regain some confidence. After the news was announced, Intel's stock price briefly rose during Thursday's trading session but did not manage to sustain the increase. Intel Advances Altera Sale Process, Private Equity Giants Compete Sources revealed that Intel began soliciting preliminary bids before Thanksgiving in November 2023 and has received various transaction structure proposals, including selling a minority stake of 20% to 30% in Altera or fully divesting the business. Different bidding proposals value Altera between $9 billion and over $12 billion, which represents a significant gap compared to Intel's valuation of approximately $17 billion when it acquired Altera in 2015. Therefore, if sold at the current valuation, Intel may face some book losses. Industry insiders generally believe that Lattice Semiconductor could be one of the potential bidders. However, Lattice currently has a market capitalization of about $8 billion, and fully acquiring Altera may require additional financial support, potentially necessitating the search for financial partners. Intel's interim co-CEO and CFO David Zinsner stated at the Barclays Global Technology Conference that Intel has begun engaging with external investors. Zinsner said, "We hope to bring in partners similar to the IMS business." In June 2023, Intel sold a 20% stake in its IMS nano-manufacturing business to Bain Capital Special Situations Fund at a valuation of $4.3 billion Three months later, Intel announced that it would sell a 10% stake in its IMS business to TSMC at the same valuation. The IMS business provides advanced nano-manufacturing tools to some of the world's major semiconductor manufacturers