UK considers blocking chip company takeover 4 min. today at 07:03 US company Nvidia announced in September a $40 billion deal to acquire Arm, a UK-based semi conductor firm US company Nvidia announced in September a $40 billion deal to acquire Arm, a UK-based semi conductor firm Semiconductors are missing amid high demand Photo credit: Shutterstock The UK is considering blocking a takeover of Arm Ltd. by Nvidia Corp. due to potential risks to national security, according to people familiar with the discussions. Nvidia, the biggest U.S. chip company by market capitalisation, announced in September a $40 billion deal to acquire Arm from Japanâs SoftBank Group Corp., as part of a push to spread its reach in the surging market for semiconductors. SoftBank has been selling assets to raise cash for buybacks and fresh investments in startups.