The top 10 Chinese semiconductor start-ups to watch
- Chinese consumption of semiconductors has been growing faster than any other market, accounting for around 60 per cent of global consumption in 2019
- Changxin expects to quadruple production of DRAM chips to 40,000 wafers a month, or 3 per cent of total world DRAM output
Aside from major players like SMIC and Huawei’s HiSilicon, China has launched a national initiative to bolster its capabilities in semiconductor technology, where the country has been hugely reliant on imported chips in the past. This directive has caught the attention of start-ups and VCs alike, who are keen to capitalise on this industry via semiconductor start-ups.
Currently, Chinese consumption of semiconductors has been growing faster than any other market, accounting for around 60 per cent of global consumption in 2019, while domestic demand far exceeds the supply.
The Chinese government is keen to correct this imbalance by focusing more support for local start-ups in this area. Firms can tap domestic exchanges like the Shanghai STAR market to fuel this transition to self-sufficiency in key components. In fact, semiconductor companies listed on the Shanghai STAR market performed especially well in the first quarter of 2020.
Here are the top 10 Chinese semiconductor start-ups to watch:
1. Eswin Computing
Founded: Beijing, 2016
Latest funding: Series B in June 2020