United Kingdom: Opened CMA phase 1 investigation into Qualcomm's proposed acquisition of Autotalks

On 27 February 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into Qualcomm's proposed acquisition of Autotalks. In particular, the CMA aims to determine whether the transaction may result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the Enterprise Act 2002 and negatively affect competition within the United Kingdom market. Qualcomm is a semiconductor manufacturer based in the United States that specialises in chipsets that enable direct communication between vehicles and their environment in the automotive sector (V2X communications). Autotalks is an Israeli semiconductor manufacturer that focuses on producing V2X semiconductors. The CMA will announce its decision on whether to refer the merger for a phase 2 investigation by 25 April 2025.