IBM Sold Its Fabs — Now It Wants to Rule Chip IP

IBM just unveiled NanoStack, its take on the CFET transistor — and it could turn IBM's IP portfolio into a real semiconductor royalty business. IBM has released details on NanoStack, its version of the CFET (complementary field-effect transistor) — the successor to gate-all-around (GAA) architecture and the next major step after Moore's Law scaling via FinFET and GAA. IBM claims NanoStack delivers up to a 50% increase in compute performance or a 70% improvement in energy efficiency versus its 2021 two-nanometer IP. What makes this notable: IBM sold its chip manufacturing business to GlobalFoundries back in 2015, yet it still holds one of the largest patent and IP portfolios in the industry. IP licensing and custom development income made up nearly 10% of IBM's GAAP net income in 2025, and NanoStack could extend that pipeline. We break down IBM's 2025 financials — revenue, R&D spend, and licensing income — and identify the companies best positioned to benefit, including ASML, Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and Screen Holdings, as advanced lithography, etch, deposition, and wafer-cleaning suppliers to Rapidus, the Japanese foundry startup ramping production by 2027. This is part of our ongoing coverage of the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and the next 15 years of chip advancement. Full research available for members at Semiconductor Insider. Semi Insider members get access to CSI's research platform and tools plus deeper research as it happens. Join at https://chipstockinvestor.com/ 📺 Watch our related video — we called this back in March 2025:    • The Next 15 years Of Logic Chip Technology...   🔗 Full research + stock tools: https://chipstockinvestor.com Get 15% of your membership with our special link here: https://fiscal.ai/csi 🎧: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof... If you found this video useful, please make sure to like and subscribe for more semiconductor supply chain research, and drop a comment: which of these NanoStack-adjacent stocks do you think benefits most? Chapters 0:00 - Why IBM Is Entering the CFET Race 1:00 - FinFET vs. GAA vs. CFET, Explained 3:15 - IBM's NanoStack Design vs. IMEC's Approach 6:00 - Why IBM Sold Its Fabs — And Why That Matters Now 7:15 - How IBM Actually Monetizes This IP 8:45 - Licensing Income: Nearly 10% of Net Income 10:00 - The NanoStack Basket: ASML, Lam, TEL, Screen 11:45 - Why Not the Full "Fab Five"? 13:15 - Rapidus, Japan's Semiconductor Comeback 14:15 - Investment Takeaway and Outlook ******************************************************* Affiliate links that are sprinkled in throughout this video. If something catches your eye and you decide to buy it, we might earn a little coffee money. Thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction! Content in this video is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. #Investing #StocksToWatch #IBM #ASML #Rapidus