Axera Semiconductor
Category: AI Chips / Semiconductors
Chinese fabless semiconductor company designing AI inference SoCs for edge/on-device computing, smart vehicles, and robotics vision perception. Axera Semiconductor was founded in 2019. The company is led by Sun Weifeng (孙微风). Based in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. Team size: 500+. Total funding raised: $680M. Latest round: IPO. Key investors include Qiming Venture Partners, Tencent Investment, Meituan, GGV Capital, Lenovo Star (联想之星), Yu Renrong (虞仁荣, OmniVision/Luxshare founder), Weihao Chuangxin, Yaotu Capital, Hejubaichuan.
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Team size
- 500+
- Total funding
- $680M
Value proposition
High-efficiency, low-power AI inference chips combining proprietary mixed-precision NPU and AI-ISP technology to power edge/terminal-side AI perception and computing.
Products and solutions
On-device Computing chips (vision perception SoCs, MLLM-capable), Smart Vehicle chips: M55H/M57/M76H ADAS + M9 series (M97 720 TOPS / M95 360 TOPS 5nm, launched Sept 2026), Edge AI Inference (Yuanxi 1,000+ TOPS series; 1,500-TOPS embodied-intelligence controller; AX8850N), AX8910 robotics vision chip, AX630A/AX620A edge vision SoCs
Unique value
Proprietary AXNeutron mixed-precision NPU + AXProton AI-ISP technology platform delivering high compute density and low power consumption across on-device, automotive, and edge use cases
Target customer
Smart camera/IoT device makers, automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, robotics companies, smart terminal manufacturers
Industries served
Smart vehicles/ADAS, IoT/smart cameras, robotics/embodied intelligence, consumer electronics
Technology advantage
Self-developed mixed-precision NPU ('爱芯通元') and AI-ISP ('爱芯智眸') technology stack; #2 shipment share in China's ADAS SoC market behind Horizon Robotics; 631 patents disclosed in IPO prospectus; 499 R&D staff (~80% of headcount)
How they differentiate
Tier-2 open ecosystem strategy for automotive OEMs (vs. Horizon Robotics' full-stack approach); unified AI-ISP + NPU platform spanning on-device, automotive, and edge inference in a single architecture
Main competitors
Horizon Robotics (地平线), Black Sesame Technologies (黑芝麻智能), Rockchip (瑞芯微), HiSilicon (华为海思), Kneron, Kinara, DEEPX (global edge AI chip peers per CB Insights)
Key partnerships
IPO cornerstone/strategic: WILL Semiconductor (OmniVision/Wentai), Youngor, Desay SV, Joyson Electronics, strategic investors Meituan and Tencent, IPO sponsors: CICC, Guotai Junan International, BOCOM International, automotive: MAXIEYE (deepened strategic cooperation), Hirain (经纬恒润) strategic partnership 2026, STRADVISION ADAS collaboration (IAA 2025)
Notable customers
Geely, Leapmotor (零跑), Ford, GAC Toyota, GAC Aion
Major milestones
Founded May 2019 by Dr. Xiaoxin Qiu (ex-UNISOC CTO); HQ later established in Ningbo Zhenhai (2023), Pre-A led by Qiming Venture Partners (early 2020), launched AX630A/AX620A edge vision SoCs (2021), rebranded from 'Aixin Technology' to 'Axera' (爱芯元智) in 2023, Sun Weifeng joined as CEO (April 2024), Series C >¥1B completed/announced April 2025, IPO'd on HKEX main board Feb 10, 2026 (0600.HK) as China's first edge AI chip stock, raising HK$2.96B (~$379M), unveiled Yuanxi 1,000+ TOPS edge-inference series and 1,500-TOPS embodied controller + AX8910 at WAIC 2026, launched M9 series 5nm ADAS chips (M97 720 TOPS / M95 360 TOPS) Sept 2026
Growth metrics
H1 2026 revenue ¥402.3M (+181.8% YoY), gross margin 29%; smart-vehicle SoC shipments ~420k in H1 2026; cumulative ADAS chip shipments >1.6M as of Aug 2026; cumulative SoC shipments >165M as of Sept 2025; still loss-making (H1 2026 loss ~¥688M; 9M 2025 net loss ~¥860M); R&D remains heavy (H1 2026 R&D ¥516M).
Market positioning
China's 'first edge AI chip stock' (HKEX: 0600.HK); #2 in domestic ADAS SoC shipments; ~6.8% share of global visual edge AI inference chip market
Geographic focus
Primarily China, expanding internationally
Patents and IP
631 patents (per HKEX listing prospectus)
About Sun Weifeng (孙微风)
Xi'an University of Technology (BSc semiconductor physics & devices) and UESTC (MSc microelectronics); IC design engineer at CETC 24th Institute; Huawei operations director (1998–2005); HiSilicon senior roles 2005–2022 (tech service head, East China GM, sales & tech service head). Joined Axera April 2024; Executive Director June 2025; CEO for group strategy, business direction, R&D and legal.
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Official website: https://axera-tech.com