4DS - Anything but Charting, page-7775

The DRAM market is $95B annually.
The NAND Flash market is $56B annually.

DRAM is super fast but volatile and requires constant power lest the data be lost.
NAND is extremely slow but non-volatile and can retain data for up to 10 years without power typically before data is degraded or lost.

Storage class memory aims to bridge the gap between DRAM and NAND.
Storage class memory does not exist today. Well... It is just starting to exist. Intel has a product called Optane that fits the description for storage class memory.

4DS is developing a storage class memory.
they also are now jointly developing this technology with HGST, a subsidiary of Western Digital.
Western Digital is one of the largest memory makers in the world.

The great hope (which is becoming less hope, and more an educated guess) is a successful technology.

At the point of proof, acquisition occurs.

Naturally Western Digital is the likely acquirer given the 2 companies working history, but it is possible (and in our interest) that 4DS entice other memory makers such as Intel, Samsung, Toshiba etc etc. and start a bidding process. This would bid up the final buyout price for the company.

All major players are working on their own storage class memory solutions too. There is risk that their solutions are better performance than 4DS' solution and therefore they would not be as enthused to buy 4DS. Even Western Digital has other solutions that fit this market that are just waiting to be launched.

The proof we are all waiting for is how well does 4DS technology perform. This performance data has been kept secret between 4DS and Western Digital, under NDA during the joint development partnership.

It takes a long time to develop new silicon.

But if there was no promise or merit in 4DS silicon, then my educated guess says that Western Digital would not be engaged with us.

So we wait.
We wait for development success and proof.
This is expected in 6 to 12 months.
My personal view is that the technology is at a stage of development right now that is achieving performance that would warrant a take over. But due to a few factors, not the least of which is "playing the game" and not being able to transact on insider information, no offer from Western Digital has been made to acquire the company just yet.

we wait.

By the way, they also are developing this at the world's leading nanotechnology R&D facility, imec. Imec works with Western Digital, Samsung etc etc. all the players for their respective product projects and programs.

4DS is in very good company.