French Ardian raises over $1 billion to invest in semiconductor makers

French-based investment manager Ardian has raised €1 billion ($1.12 billion) for its private-equity platform dedicated for semiconductor businesses, which will target growing companies in Europe, North America and Asia.

Chips are central to AI advances, with governments increasingly backing homegrown companies to secure sovereign technology.

* The platform, named Ardian Semiconductor, will invest in companies across the whole chain of making computer chips