Intel eyes Apple investment as it pushes to rebuild

Intel has approached Apple about a possible investment as part of its wider push to rebuild after years of setbacks, people familiar with the discussions said, though talks are at an early stage and may not lead to an agreement. The outreach comes after a string of high-profile backers, including a roughly 10 percent stake by the U.S. government and multibillion-dollar commitments from Nvidia and SoftBank, and follows renewed scrutiny of Intel's leadership and strategy this year.

People familiar with the deliberations said Intel has also been in contact with other potential investors and partners as it seeks to shore up capital, win customers for its factories and restore credibility with clients and markets. The company this year secured about $5 billion from Nvidia and roughly $2 billion from SoftBank, and its shares rose about 6 percent on the news of the Apple approach. Apple’s shares dipped slightly on the reports.

Intel has faced a difficult stretch that included layoffs, the cancellation of planned European factories and delays in its leading-edge 18A process that have left it trailing rivals in the race to supply chips for AI and data centers. Executives have been...