Qualcomm CFO talks Modular acquisition's significance for AI data centers

Yahoo Finance · 2026-06-25

Qualcomm CFO talks Modular acquisition's significance for AI data centers Yahoo Finance Video Thu, June 25, 2026 at 12:05 PM EDT QCOM NVDA AMD Qualcomm ( QCOM ) CFO and COO Akash Palkhiwala joins Yahoo Finance Tech Editor Dan Howley to discuss the AI chipmaker's announced acquisition of AI software infrastructure startup Modular. I want to ask you then about modular. You just announced that as well, the acquisition there. They're AI software. What does that allow Qualcomm to do that it it couldn't do on its own? Yeah, so modular, we're incredibly excited about this acquisition. I think as we get into data center, one of the key things that we uh needed to solve and bring to the industry is an AI native software stack. Uh Chris, the founder of modular is a very well-known person in the industry. He has built uh compilers across a variety of products. He's now bringing his expertise in solving this industry-wide problem. How do we build a stack that is separate uh from the hardware that's below it and something that we can port across all kinds of hardware. And and now modular being a part of Qualcomm allows us to do that at scale, not just in the cloud, but also at the edge. The idea is I guess it's it competes with Nvidia's Cuda but it can also work with Nvidia hardware, Qualcomm hardware, AMD hardware, I think. Yeah, so you should almost think of this as a software stack that is open source that anyone can use. It would sit on top of any hardware. It is not specific to Qualcomm. Uh we are going to run modular with their current business model. They are going to continue to support the entire ecosystem. and of course, we'll optimize it uh for Qualcomm products.

AI 시장 분석

Qualcomm has acquired AI software infrastructure startup Modular to secure an AI-native software stack. Modular's hardware-neutral open-source stack makes it easy to port not only to the cloud but also to the edge, complementing Qualcomm's data center entry strategy. This serves as an alternative to NVIDIA's CUDA-centric ecosystem and could spur competition among accelerators, reshaping the competitive landscape of the cloud and chip industries. Going forward, software interoperability rather than chip performance is likely to become a key factor in investment decisions.

상승 영향

AI software/compilers — The Modular acquisition will spread a hardware-neutral AI-native stack, accelerating demand for compilers and inference frameworks and driving ecosystem growth; improved developer accessibility will spur innovation.
Qualcomm (QCOM) — By securing software stacks for data centers and the edge, Qualcomm can offer integrated chip+software solutions, facilitating entry into the data center market and product differentiation.
Edge computing — A hardware-independent stack enables easy porting to edge devices, likely expanding Qualcomm-based edge AI and increasing demand for related chips and modules.
AMD — If Modular supports multiple hardware platforms, AMD hardware would also benefit, with broader accelerator choices and ecosystem diversification expected to increase demand.

하락 영향

NVIDIA (NVDA) — If CUDA-centric software share is eroded by open stacks like Modular, NVIDIA's software lock-in and ability to sustain high margins would be challenged, putting downward pressure on long-term profitability.
Hardware-lock-in software models (e.g., — Business models that depend on hardware-specific proprietary APIs may see their value eroded by increased standardization and portability, risking declines in license and maintenance-based revenues.
Data center GPU prices/margins — Wider accelerator choice would strengthen the bargaining power of cloud providers and enterprises, leading to pressure on GPU prices and margins and increasing the likelihood of profitability deterioration for related businesses.

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