Ambarella Inc., the Silicon Valley chip designer best known for video-processing semiconductors used in cameras and autonomous-system applications, is exploring strategic alternatives including a full sale of the company, according to multiple press reports on 24 June. The company has engaged investment bankers to sound out prospective buyers, the reports said, without naming potential suitors or indicating that talks have begun. Investors welcomed the possibility of a takeover: Ambarella’s shares jumped as much as 17% in intraday trading after the news, extending this year’s gains in a sector buoyed by demand for artificial-intelligence hardware.