Under mounting US sanctions on AI chips, Chinese domestic GPU companies are accelerating development and entering capital markets to strengthen their position. In a significant move, Chinese GPU maker MetaX has completed its listing guidance filing and officially launched its IPO process, while Moore Threads has also completed its filing. These developments highlight the resilience of China's GPU industry despite increasing pressure from US restrictions

As Samsung Electronics (Samsung) attempts to reshape the global memory market through its sixth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4), industry watchers are closely monitoring two critical factors: the mass production and yield of the sixth-generation 1c DRAM, as well as internal confidence in its foundry processes. Currently, SK Hynix dominates the HBM market

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) has launched an innovative type of asset-based financing that utilizes semiconductor manufacturing equipment as collateral. This approach involves collaboration with external specialists for asset valuation. Memory chip manufacturer Kioxia has already benefited from this financing model, and it could potentially be extended to other chipmakers, like Rapidus

On January 15, Mitsubishi Electric unveiled its updated R&D strategy, highlighting its commitment to advancing technologies like electronic-photonic converging integration (EPCI) besides an increased investment of JPY100 billion (approx. US$6.4 million) in R&D from the fiscal year 2024 to 2030, a 1.7-fold increase over its initial plan. This investment will be funneled into collaborations between industry, academia, and government, supporting efforts to create game-changing technologies

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is teaming up with South Korean semiconductor materials company SoulBrain to develop materials for glass substrates, with plans for mass production by 2027. This partnership aims to enhance Samsung's supply chain ecosystem and boost the development of next-generation semiconductor technology

On January 16, 2025, reports emerged that Muxi Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd. (MetaX), a Chinese GPU manufacturer, entered the IPO pipeline for the A-share market after completing its corporate restructuring and filing for listing guidance with Huatai United Securities

Industry observers anticipate accelerated consolidation among second-tier LCD panel makers as US President Donald Trump prepares to implement new trade policies in his second term

On January 17, it was officially announced that George Zhao would step down as CEO of Honor. Reportedly, the newly appointed CEO Jian Li is a veteran of Huawei, known for his deep research background, extensive overseas market experience, and ability to tackle tough challenges

Samsung Electronics has denied reports about the redesign of its fifth-generation 10nm-class DRAM (1b DRAM), following media speculation about changes to the latest commercially available technology. Sources had suggested the company was planning to adjust the design to improve performance and yield

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent low-profile visit to China has reaffirmed the company's strategic focus on this crucial market amid tightening US restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports

Industry sources indicate that thermal issues associated with GB200 have prompted major clients including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta to reduce their orders, impacting not only Nvidia's product sales and revenue but also creating significant implications for its primary HBM supplier, SK Hynix

Hyundai Motor's electric vehicles (EVs) were removed from the US government's electric vehicle subsidy list in late January 2025, just weeks after being included at the start of the year. This exclusion has led the industry to speculate about the deepening of US protectionism, with attention turning to Hyundai's response strategies

Escalating US sanctions aside, China has launched a national artificial intelligence (AI) industry investment fund worth CNY60 billion (approx. US$8.2 billion), according to reports from Yahoo Finance and the South China Morning Post

Samsung Electronics has reportedly delayed the development of its 10nm sixth-generation 1c DRAM to June 2025. Initially slated for completion by late 2024, the timeline has been pushed back by six months due to ongoing yield challenges, potentially affecting mass production plans

The Biden Administration's last few regulatory measures to restrict advanced semiconductor foundry products from reaching China could disrupt Samsung Electronics' efforts to strengthen its foundry business targeting the Chinese market