Intel is exploring new partnerships and funding opportunities as it works to strengthen its position in the semiconductor market. According to Bloomberg, the chipmaker has reached out to Apple—TSMC’s biggest customer and a company that stopped using Intel Core processors in its Macs years ago—about a potential investment.
Sources familiar with the matter say discussions are still in the early stages and may not lead to an agreement. However, any backing from Apple would be viewed as a strong vote of confidence in Intel’s turnaround strategy, especially as the company has been losing ground to rivals like AMD and Nvidia in the fast-growing AI segment.
Market Reaction and Share Performance
The news alone was enough to move the stock market. Intel’s shares jumped 4% early on Thursday (25) and closed the day up 6.4%, finishing at $31.22. Apple’s stock dipped slightly, ending down 1% at $252.31—still roughly eight times Intel’s market value.
Intel’s push for fresh partnerships comes shortly after the U.S. government acquired around 10% of the company as part of a broader initiative to bolster domestic chip manufacturing.
Nvidia has also recently committed $5 billion to Intel in a deal that includes collaboration on x86 CPUs for Nvidia and RTX graphics integration for Intel’s processors, though industry watchers remain skeptical about how far that partnership will go.
Intel and Apple share a long, sometimes rocky relationship that ended in 2020 when Apple began its transition to custom M-series chips for Macs. If the two companies strike a new agreement, it could signal renewed trust in Intel at a time when regaining industry confidence is critical to the company’s future.
