What’s the first name that will come to your mind when I say semiconductor companies? I guess it will be TSMC , Apple Silicon , Qualcomm , Intel, Mediatek, AMD and Nvidia. And what if I tell you that there is a single company which owns stakes in most of these companies? Won’t it be surprising?
Yes , it is. By the way, we are talking about the semiconductor foundry giant “TSMC”. With the latest addition to its bucket, “Intel”, in which TSMC seems to be acquiring a 20% stake in Intel Foundry Services. It is definitely surprising to see TSMC expanding its ownership in the semiconductor industry.
Over the years, TSMC has invested in over 6 companies operating under various businesses in the semiconductor industry (some of which later got merged), strategically positioning itself into the global semiconductor supply chain—from chip packaging to imaging and even processor IP giants like Arm.
“Intel is just the latest checkmark in TSMC’s growing ownership map.”
In this detailed WireUnwired article , we will try to have a complete list of companies in which TSMC has invested over time.
TSMC’s Most Strategic Investments: A Closer Look
Intel Foundry Services 🇺🇸
- Specialization: Contract chip manufacturing (foundry services for clients)
- TSMC’s Investment Year: 2025 (reportedly acquiring a 20% stake)
- Stake Sale: None yet — newly announced investment
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Strengthens its geopolitical influence and provides access to U.S. foundry operations
- Relevance Today: A bold move amidst the U.S.–China chip decoupling and onshoring trend
Arm Holdings 🇬🇧
- Specialization: Chip architecture and IP design — powering everything from smartphones to AI chips
- TSMC’s Investment Year: 2023 (participated in Arm’s IPO)
- Stake Sale: Partial exit reported in 2024
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Tightened synergy with key IP vendor, benefiting future chip design collaborations
- Relevance Today: Arm plays a central role in edge computing, smartphones, and data centre architecture
Vanguard International Semiconductor 🇹🇼
- Specialization: Mature-node chip manufacturing (display drivers, power management ICs)
- TSMC’s Investment Year: Mid-1990s; once held a majority stake
- Stake Sale: Gradual divestment, significantly reduced by 2014
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Helped shift legacy node production out of TSMC’s core fabs
- Relevance Today: Legacy nodes are still critical for automotive, industrial, and IoT applications
VisEra Technologies 🇹🇼
- Specialization: CMOS image sensor backend processing
- TSMC’s Investment Year: 2003 (joint venture with OmniVision)
- Stake Sale: No known divestment — TSMC retains a strong presence
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Strengthens control over imaging pipeline in high-growth sectors
- Relevance Today: Image sensors are vital in smartphones, surveillance, and autonomous vehicles
Xintec Inc. 🇹🇼
- Specialization: Wafer-level chip scale packaging (WLCSP)
- TSMC’s Investment Year: Early 2000s
- Stake Sale: Merged with Vanguard in 2017
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Expanded capabilities in advanced packaging — essential for 3D chips and AI hardware
- Relevance Today: Packaging innovations drive the next wave of performance scaling post-Moore’s Law
Also Read :The Shocking Energy Cost of AI Generated Ghibli Studio Images
TSMC Solar 🇹🇼
- Specialization: Photovoltaic solar module manufacturing
- TSMC’s Investment Year: 2009 (in-house renewable energy initiative)
- Stake Sale / Exit: Business shuttered in 2015 due to mounting losses
- Strategic Benefit to TSMC: Gave early insights into green tech and sustainability commitments
- Relevance Today: Although the venture failed, TSMC doubled down on clean energy with new net-zero goals
📊 All the Companies TSMC Holds a Stake In (2025)
| Company | Country | Specialization | Investment Year | Stake Sale? | Strategic Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Foundry Services | 🇺🇸 USA | Foundry Operations | 2025 | No | U.S. presence & influence |
| Arm Holdings | 🇬🇧 UK | Chip IP Design | 2023 | Partial (2024) | IP synergy & design |
| Vanguard Semiconductor | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Legacy Node Chips | 1990s | Yes (2014) | Offloaded legacy fab load |
| VisEra Technologies | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Image Sensor Processing | 2003 | No | Image sensor edge |
| Xintec Inc. | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | WLCSP Packaging | 2000s | Merged (2017) | Advanced packaging |
| TSMC Solar | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Solar Modules | 2009 | Exited (2015) | Green energy insights |
What’s Next for TSMC?
With the coming trends of neuromorphic computing, AI accelerators, etc., here’s what might be on TSMC’s radar next:
- 🇪🇺 European foundries like GlobalFoundries or STMicro?
- 🤖 AI chip startups for low-power neuromorphic computing?
- 📐 Design firms that create specialised chip IP?
Conclusion:
TSMC has tried to expand itself over various businesses within the semiconductor industry to make sure it remains competitive and diversified. With the latest acquisition of a 20% stake in Intel’s foundry business , it is strategically expanding itself into the US semiconductor industry.
It will be really impressive to see what the future holds for TSMC.
Whatever your thoughts are, feel free to pen them down in the comments .
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