CIX

CIX Technology, registered in October 2021, is a semiconductor company specializing in the design and development of high-efficiency, intelligent general-purpose central processing units (CPUs). The company was co-founded by CEO Hank Sun (Sun Wenjian) and CTO Fang Liu. Sun previously served as the head of AMD's custom semiconductor business in China and was the SOC director at AMD. Liu's extensive 22-year career in Silicon Valley includes roles as a lead SOC architect at Meta (Facebook) for augmented reality, a lead SOC architect at AMD, and an 11-year tenure at Apple, where she was instrumental in architecting multiple generations of CPUs, GPUs, and SoCs.

CIX Technology focuses on developing Arm-based System-on-Chips (SoCs) that integrate multi-core CPUs, desktop-level GPUs, and dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPUs). This design approach aims to provide powerful yet power-efficient computing solutions for a variety of applications. The company's business model is centered on supplying these advanced chips to commercial clients in several key markets. The primary sectors served include personal computing (such as notebooks, desktops, and high-end tablets), automotive applications like smart cockpits, and infrastructure for the metaverse and edge computing. By creating versatile SoCs, CIX enables its clients to produce electronics with enhanced processing power and improved computing speeds. For instance, their chips are designed to improve user experience and extend battery life in personal computing devices. In the automotive sector, CIX addresses the need for higher-powered chips to support future software updates and prevent system lag in vehicle infotainment systems.

The company's flagship product is a general-purpose intelligent computing chip, with the first-generation chip, the P1, recently unveiled. This processor is specifically engineered for AI-enabled personal computers and supports generative AI models as well as traditional CNN models. CIX's products are designed to be compatible with the Arm instruction set, leveraging its power-efficient architecture. The company collaborates with industry partners to build an open ecosystem, offering clients software and hardware solutions, including multi-operating system support and optimization tools. Since its founding, CIX has secured significant funding through several rounds, including an angel round led by Lenovo Capital, a Pre-A round co-led by NIO Capital and Qiming Venture Partners, and a Series A round. These investments are being used to expand the R&D team, accelerate market entry, and build out its ecosystem.

Keywords: Arm-based CPU, SoC design, general-purpose processors, intelligent computing chips, high-performance computing, low-power solutions, automotive chips, smart cockpit, AI PC, personal computing, edge computing, metaverse infrastructure, System-on-Chip, CPU architecture, GPU, NPU, semiconductor design, Hank Sun, Fang Liu, CIX Technology, 此芯科技, AI processors, energy-efficient computing, heterogeneous computing, desktop-level GPU, generative AI, machine learning, vehicle infotainment, advanced driver-assistance systems, custom silicon, chip development, fabless semiconductor, ARM ecosystem, compute solutions, data center, AR/VR hardware