Arm is one of the UK’s most successful and influential companies, designing the industry-standard chip architecture found in all categories of computing devices - from supercomputers to microcontrollers - and establishing it as the world leader in processors for mobile devices.
The Cambridge-based firm was bought by Japan's SoftBank in 2016 for $32bn, but which is now in the process of selling it to graphics card makers Nvidia for $40bn.
The latest deal has proved controversial, with Arm co-founder Hermann Hauser describing it as a “disaster” and lamenting the fact that it was one of the few European technology firms with global relevance that is now being sold to the US.
Digital secretary Nadine Dorries has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), instructing them to carry out an in-depth review of the proposed acquisition.
The CMA had already expressed alarm over the deal, citing concerns that it could stifle innovation due to Nvidia...