Qualcomm shares rose after the chipmaker reportedly reached a deal to supply ByteDance with AI focused chips for data centers, marking a broader push beyond its core smartphone processor business.
ByteDance is expected to buy millions of Qualcomm application specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, to support AI agent software, according to a Bloomberg report. The deal would make the TikTok owner one of Qualcomm’s first major customers for the custom AI chips and represents a notable win as Qualcomm expands into AI infrastructure.
The reported agreement would help ByteDance turn an already completed in house chip design into a production ready semiconductor.
The move comes as technology companies seek more efficient hardware for AI inference, where custom chips can be optimized for high volume workloads. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said last month that the company is working with customers across CPUs, inference accelerators, and custom ASICs, a market where Broadcom and Marvell have built larger data center businesses.
The deal also highlights the competitive pressure in AI hardware. Nvidia remains the dominant supplier of advanced AI chips, while companies including Google and Meta have invested in custom silicon to reduce dependence on external suppliers and manage the rising cost of AI infrastructure.
