Possible acquisition of Kioxia by Western Digital or Micron

According to rumors, Kioxia (formerly Toshiba Memory) could be taken over by the American companies Western Digital (WD) or Micron. There is definitely interest on the part of both companies. But there is no more detailed information yet.

Market value $30 billion

According to the Wall Street Journal, Micron and Western Digital are very interested in a takeover of the Tokyo-based Japanese computer memory manufacturer Kioxia. If such a takeover were to take place, $30 billion is likely to cross the table here. Since Kioxia is not yet listed on the stock exchange, it is not yet clear what the takeover might look like.

At the moment, the NAND flash division is divided among various companies. For a takeover through shares, it would be necessary for Kioxia to be on the stock exchange. However, this has not been realized for the time being. Originally, the IPO of Kioxia was planned for October 2019. Valued at that time, the company was valued at $16 billion. However, Kioxia’s IPO could still happen if there is no sale. If, as the rumor mill speculates, a purchase of the company does occur, the acquisition will likely take place this year. The fact that Micron and Western Digital are interested in Kioxia could lead to a bidding war. Micron in particular could strengthen its position in the NAND memory competition through a purchase.

Only rumors so far.

According to requests from Micron, there was no further information on this. Western Digital and Kioxia, which already collaborate on NAND flash development and manufacturing, have also not commented on the rumors so far.