Qualcomm acquires Arduino with commitment to open-source ethos
Qualcomm has announced its acquisition of Arduino, the Italian open-source microcontroller company, promising to preserve its independent brand and mission. The deal aims to integrate Arduino's community with Qualcomm's technology resources. As part of the announcement, Qualcomm unveiled the Arduino Uno Q board powered by its processor.
Smartphone processor maker Qualcomm revealed on October 7, 2025, that it is acquiring Arduino, known for its open-source ecosystem of microcontrollers and supporting software. The Italian firm serves over 33 million active users, including entrepreneurs, businesses, tech professionals, students, educators, and hobbyists.
In a press release, Qualcomm stated: "Arduino will retain its independent brand, tools, and mission, while continuing to support a wide range of microcontrollers and microprocessors from multiple semiconductor providers as it enters this next chapter within the Qualcomm family." The acquisition will provide Arduino's community access to Qualcomm's technology stack and global reach, enabling faster prototyping and commercialization through Qualcomm's partner ecosystem.
Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal awaits regulatory approval and other closing conditions. The first product emerging from the partnership is the Arduino Uno Q, a single-board computer featuring Qualcomm's Dragonwing QRB2210 processor. This chip includes a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU, Qualcomm Adreno 702 GPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, and a real-time microcontroller to combine high-performance computing with real-time control.
While Qualcomm emphasized Arduino's continued open-source ethos and support for diverse silicon vendors, concerns linger about potential shifts. Large acquisitions of open-source projects often raise fears of ecosystem lock-in, reduced open releases, declining non-proprietary chip support, or prioritization of corporate clients over educators and tinkerers. However, Arduino's open-source hardware and software commitments, along with the community's ability to produce compatible products or fork initiatives, may safeguard its direction.