Applied Materials Increases Strategic Stake in Besi to 20 Percent

Applied Materials, Inc. announced on October 26, 2026, that it is increasing its strategic investment in BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (Besi) to approximately 20 percent of the company's outstanding shares. The move expands on an initial investment from April 2025 and a strategic collaboration that began in 2020.

The partnership focuses on advanced packaging, specifically hybrid bonding and next-generation interconnect architectures. These technologies are intended to enable energy-efficient AI compute performance through 3D IC scaling, logic and memory integration, and various die-integration platforms.

Applied Materials entered into an accelerated share purchase agreement, which is subject to the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The company stated it has no current intention to seek board representation at Besi or increase its stake beyond the 20 percent threshold.