Applied Materials said Oct. 26 it has agreed to raise its stake in BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (Besi) to about 20%, expanding a partnership focused on advanced chip packaging for AI systems.
The accelerated share purchase agreement would add to Applied Materials’ investment, which it first made in April 2025. Once the shares are delivered, Applied would hold about 20% of Besi’s outstanding shares. Besi is listed on Euronext Amsterdam as BESI and makes assembly equipment for the semiconductor industry. Applied Materials develops materials engineering technology used in semiconductor production.
Applied Materials described the holding as a long-term investment. It said it has no current intention to increase its stake beyond about 20% or seek representation on Besi’s board.
The companies began working together in 2020. Applied Materials later gave Besi Innovation Partner status at its EPIC Center. Their joint work has since extended beyond hybrid bonding to other interconnect designs and applications that Applied links to the chip industry’s effort to scale for AI.
The projects span scaling three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs), integrating logic and memory, and advancing thermo-compression bonding. The companies also cited die-on-wafer, die-on-die and die-on-panel integration platforms.
Dr. Prabu Raja, president of Applied Materials’ Semiconductor Products Group, tied the additional investment to the importance the company assigns to hybrid bonding and newer interconnect designs as AI computing expands. Applied said the broader collaboration is intended to support its work on products and technologies for customers developing AI systems.
Delivery of the shares depends on the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR Act) expiring or being terminated. Applied Materials did not give a date for the waiting period to end.
