By Zhang Wenxiang, Reporter
The semiconductor sector has been performing remarkably well recently. On September 1, data from Dongfang Wealth showed that the semiconductor sector surged by 1.91%. In the past month, the sector has seen an increase of over 20%.
While the sector is performing strongly, semiconductor companies are also accelerating their mergers and acquisitions. On the evening of August 28, Chipone Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Chipone”) announced that the company is planning to acquire equity in Chipwise Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Chipwise”) through the issuance of shares and cash payment, while also raising supporting funds. Chipone currently holds a 2.99% stake in Chipwise and intends to acquire all or a controlling stake in Chipwise through this transaction.
As the target of this acquisition, Chipwise’s business strength and industry position can be further understood through its public information. Established in 2018, Chipwise is one of the earliest domestic suppliers of RISC-V CPU (microprocessor) IP (reusable design modules or technologies in chip design) in China, focusing on the research and development of RISC-V CPU IP and corresponding platform solutions. Currently, over 300 domestic and international officially authorized customers are using Chipwise’s RISC-V CPU IP, covering multiple fields such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), automotive electronics, 5G communication, cybersecurity, and storage. Chipwise is also the world’s first RISC-V CPU IP supplier to obtain ISO26262 ASIL-D product certification.
In fact, Chipone and Chipwise have a long-standing cooperative history. Chipone invested in Chipwise during its angel round in 2018, laying out its strategy in the RISC-V field. Through this transaction, Chipone will complete the important piece of the CPU IP puzzle, further enhancing its overall competitive strength.
According to information, Chipone is a company that relies on its proprietary semiconductor IP to provide platform-based, comprehensive, one-stop chip customization services and semiconductor IP licensing services. In 2024, Chipone’s intellectual property licensing revenue ranked sixth globally. Based on IPnest’s IP classification and various companies’ public information, Chipone ranks among the top two in the global ranking of IP types among the top ten IP companies. When Chipone went public, it was hailed as the first stock of China’s semiconductor IP, and in recent years, driven by AI-related demands, the demand for ASIC chip customization has grown rapidly. In the context of de-globalization, Chipone has achieved international development, growing from a leader in China’s semiconductor IP to a leader in ASICs.
In recent years, based on its business advantages and industry position, Chipone has actively explored the RISC-V market, continuously enhancing its position and value in related fields through the technological empowerment of its semiconductor IP and chip customization platform, and actively promoting the development of the RISC-V industry ecosystem. Chipone will work with Chipwise to jointly build the RISC-V industry ecosystem in China.
Chipone’s 2025 semi-annual report shows that as early as September 2018, the Shanghai Municipal Economic and Information Commission took the lead in introducing policies to support RISC-V. Under the recommendation of the Shanghai Integrated Circuit Industry Association, Chipone, as the first chairman unit, led the establishment of the China RISC-V Industry Alliance (CRVIC), which had reached 204 member units by the end of June 2025. In 2024, Chipone, together with Damo Academy and Chipwise, jointly initiated the establishment of the Shanghai Open Processor Industry Innovation Center, which focuses on promoting processor technology, especially the research and development, ecological construction, and industrial application of open instruction set architectures (such as RISC-V).
In July 2025, with the support of the Shanghai Economic and Information Commission, the Shanghai Open Processor Industry Innovation Center hosted the fifth RISC-V China Summit at the Zhangjiang Science Hall in Shanghai. Over three days, speakers and guests from 17 countries participated in the summit, with a total attendance of 8,188 people. Chen Jie, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, delivered the opening speech, stating that Shanghai will further strengthen cooperation with the RISC-V International Foundation to create a better industrial ecosystem, particularly by improving the standard system, software infrastructure, conducting comprehensive IP product research, and exploring the release of a unified software and hardware open platform for global enterprises, universities, and community developers, to create an industrial cluster for RISC-V.
According to a research report from Dongwu Securities Co., Ltd., RISC-V, as an open and extensible instruction set architecture, is becoming an important cornerstone for AI chips. In recent years, Chipwise has continuously expanded its AI direction, completing the IP matrix to accelerate the landing in multiple scenarios. Chipone’s acquisition of Chipwise forms a complete layout from processor cores to system-level overall solutions. Chipwise’s layout not only completes Chipone’s RISC-V matrix in the AI direction but is also expected to achieve large-scale landing in high-growth scenarios such as AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) and automotive electronics.
Chipone announced that this transaction is still in the planning stage, and as of now, Chipwise’s valuation has not been finalized. The company’s stock will be suspended from trading starting August 29 (Friday), with the expected suspension time not exceeding ten trading days. This transaction will not lead to a change in the actual controller of the company and does not constitute a restructuring listing.
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Image | Zhanku Hai Luo
Produced by | Zhou Wenrui
Reviewed by | Wang Lixin
Edited by | Sun Qian
Final Review | Yan Liliang
