SMIC

Shanghai, Shanghai, China · smics.com

SMIC is a semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced chips for customers including Huawei. It produces Huawei Ascend processors using a 7nm DUV process and is developing a 5nm process.

AI Core · watchlist · score 68

Positioning

China's most advanced foundry and the sole volume manufacturer for Huawei Ascend and the domestic accelerator startups; the binding constraint on China's AI chip output through its 7nm-class yields.

Latest signals

  • SMIC recorded approximately $9.3 billion in 2025 revenue as China’s largest foundry.Electronics Weekly
  • Zhipu AI receives net mainland China fund inflow of 31.22 billion HKDYicai
  • China’s AI semiconductor build-out remains constrained by SMIC’s exposure to U.S. export controls.Electronics Weekly
  • Huawei is coordinating a Chinese lithography-equipment supply chain around domestic foundry demand.FrenchWeb
  • SMIC and CXMT are expected to begin materially scaling domestic AI chip fabrication in 2027–2028.Dwarkesh Patel

18 signals name SMIC. Members see all of them, filtered by topic, source and date.

Facts, with sources

  • >500mRevenue band · rsshub.bkraju.com — 2026-09-16
  • Exposure to U.S. export controls constrains China's AI semiconductor build-outSetback · Electronics Weekly
  • Q3 2026 revenue guidance of +2-4%Revenue · SMIC release via Global Times, Yuan Talks
  • Q2 2026 revenueRevenue · SMIC release via Global Times, Yuan Talks

13 facts on file. Members see all of them with the source link.

Scores, AI Core (of 10)

Deployment6
Production8
Commercials10
Progress9
Technology4
Positioning6
Firepower8
Leverage8

Traction: deployment, production, commercials, progress. Capability: technology, positioning, firepower, leverage.

Questions this page answers

What does SMIC do?

SMIC is a semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced chips for customers including Huawei. It produces Huawei Ascend processors using a 7nm DUV process and is developing a 5nm process. China's most advanced foundry and the sole volume manufacturer for Huawei Ascend and the domestic accelerator startups; the binding constraint on China's AI chip output through its 7nm-class yields.

Where does SMIC rank in ai core?

SMIC is on the AI Core watchlist list of Frontier Tech Intelligence with a score of 68 out of 100, below the Top 100.

Where is SMIC based and when was it founded?

SMIC is based in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.

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