Sony to spin off Israel chipmaking activity

The Hod Hasharon plant will revert to being Altair Semiconductor, the startup which Sony acquired in 2016 for $212 million.

Electronics giant Sony has decided to spin off the chip development activity it acquired a decade ago in Israel based on the startup Altair Semiconductor from Hod Hasharon, which employs about 200 people – a move that will mark a U-turn from establishing a development center in Israel. This latest decision comes after several waves of layoffs, the most recent of which was a few months ago when several dozen employees were laid off, and in preparation for a reorganization. Altair will revert to being an independent entity under its old name, Altair Semiconductor, in which Sony will be a shareholder.

Sony CEO visits Israel development center

Sony’s chip development center in Hod Hasharon, Sony Semiconductor Israel, has specialized in recent years in communication chips for LTE and 5G communication networks, especially for the supply chain sector – managing logistics warehouses and improving their operational indicators through inventory and machine management. The current management, headed by Sony Semiconductor Israel CEO Nohik Semel, will continue to manage Altair after its split from Sony.

Altair, once a veteran chip startup, was sold in January 2016 for $212 million after raising $135 million. It is one of many companies founded in Israel in the early 2000s, which developed chips for advanced cellular generations for a variety of technologies in the field of Wimax and LTE.

The company declined to comment on this report.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 3, 2025.