Tags: chip industry

DeepSeek, the Beijing‑based artificial‑intelligence startup, released a preview of its next‑generation V4 model on Friday, claiming it can match the performance of leading U.S. systems from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. The open‑source model emphasizes coding capabilities and boasts compatibility with domestic Huawei hardware, marking a milestone for China’s chip industry. The announcement follows DeepSeek’s earlier R1 model, which drew criticism from U.S. officials over alleged use of banned Nvidia chips and accusations of misusing Anthropic’s Claude technology. Read more

South Korean fabless AI chip startup Rebellions announced a $400 million funding round led by Mirae Asset Financial Group and the Korea National Growth Fund. The infusion brings the company’s valuation to roughly $2.34 billion as it prepares for an IPO later this year. Rebellions also unveiled two new AI‑inference infrastructure products, RebelRack and RebelPOD, and highlighted its rapid global expansion into the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan. The move positions the firm among a new wave of chip makers challenging established players such as NVIDIA. Read more

China's State Administration for Market Regulation has opened an investigation into NVIDIA's $6.9 billion purchase of Mellanox, asserting that the deal violated national antitrust laws and the conditions China set when it approved the takeover. While no penalties have been announced, the regulator’s preliminary findings were kept confidential until now, coinciding with U.S.–China trade talks in Madrid. The original acquisition was announced in 2019 and approved by Chinese authorities the following year on the basis that NVIDIA would continue supplying GPUs and interconnect products under “fair, reasonable, and non‑discriminatory” terms. Read more