Core Insights - The penetration rate of passenger cars equipped with combined driving assistance systems in China reached 62.6% from January to July 2025, an increase of 5.7 million units and 40 percentage points compared to the same period in 2021 [1] - The current market primarily features L2 level systems, which assist with basic driving tasks but do not provide full autonomous driving capabilities, leaving the driver responsible [1] - The development of intelligent driving in China is accelerating due to policy support, with significant regulations and standards being established to enhance safety and performance in the industry [1][2] Industry Developments - The introduction of national standards for L2 level driving assistance is expected to provide regulatory support and drive innovation within the intelligent driving industry, benefiting the entire supply chain [2] - Major automotive manufacturers are shifting from fully self-developed solutions to strategic collaborations with technology providers, enhancing the integration of AI capabilities and increasing the penetration of intelligent driving technologies [2] - Domestic suppliers of components such as lidar, cameras, and radar are strengthening their influence in the industry and moving towards integrated hardware and software solutions [2] Relevant Companies - Black Sesame Intelligence (02533) is positioned to benefit from the commercialization of L2+ technology and advancements in L3 and L4 scenarios, having launched high-performance intelligent driving chips [3] - Horizon Robotics (09660) has achieved significant production milestones with its HSD chip series and is establishing international partnerships, aiming to expand its intelligent driving solutions globally [3] - Suoteng Juchuang (02498) has successfully mass-produced high-line count lidar products, which are now featured in new intelligent SUV models [3] - Youjia Innovation (02431) has entered the unmanned logistics sector with its "Xiaozhu" brand, showcasing its commitment to advancing high-level autonomous driving commercialization [4]

Group 1 - The stock of Hezhima Intelligent (02533) rose over 6% recently, with a current price of 20.26 HKD and a trading volume of 664 million HKD [1] - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has released a draft for mandatory national standards on intelligent connected vehicles, establishing a safety baseline for these products [1] - The draft requires that systems can only be activated under their designed operating conditions, indicating a regulatory push towards safer intelligent driving technologies [1] Group 2 - According to Puyin International, the high-speed NOA solution based on Huashan A1000 will begin mass production in passenger vehicles starting in 2023, having undergone thorough validation [2] - Hezhima Intelligent has deepened cooperation with core existing customers this year, expanding from driver assistance to cabin and driving integration [2] - The company is expected to benefit from the trend of domestic automakers accelerating the deployment of vehicles equipped with NOA features, with projected shipments of A1000 exceeding 300,000 units by 2025 [2]

Group 1 - The Hong Kong stock market saw a rise in autonomous driving concept stocks on September 18, with notable increases in share prices for several companies [1] - Black Sesame Technologies (02533.HK) experienced a significant increase of 9.04%, reaching HKD 20.86 [1] - Horizon Robotics-W (09660.HK) rose by 7.18%, trading at HKD 11.19 [1] - Suda Technology (02498.HK) saw a gain of 6.33%, with shares priced at HKD 45.26 [1] - Youjia Innovation (02431.HK) increased by 5.9%, with a share price of HKD 27.64 [1]

Core Viewpoint - The smart driving concept stocks have risen significantly following the announcement of a new national standard for intelligent connected vehicle auxiliary systems, indicating a positive outlook for the automotive smart technology sector [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Stocks of several companies in the smart driving sector have seen notable increases: - Hezhima (000716) up 9.04% to HKD 20.86 - Horizon Robotics-W (09660) up 7.18% to HKD 11.19 - Suton Juchuang (02498) up 6.33% to HKD 45.26 - Youjia Innovation (02431) up 5.9% to HKD 27.64 [1] Group 2: Regulatory Developments - On September 17, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publicly solicited opinions on the mandatory national standard for "Safety Requirements for Intelligent Connected Vehicle Combination Driving Assistance Systems" - Data shows that the installation rate of Level 2 combination driving assistance technology in new energy vehicles has exceeded 50%, with expectations for continued growth in installation rates [1] Group 3: Industry Insights - A representative from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that this standard fills a safety baseline gap for combination driving assistance systems in China, providing critical technical support for industry access, quality supervision, and post-event traceability - This development is expected to enhance overall product safety levels in the industry [1] Group 4: Investment Recommendations - CITIC Securities suggests that the automotive smart technology supply chain is likely to benefit from the gradual improvement of industry regulations, recommending investment in: 1) Leading manufacturers in smart driving research and development 2) Leading suppliers of laser radar 3) Leading companies in intelligent connected vehicle testing and simulation services 4) Other leading suppliers of smart driving components [1] - Aijian Securities anticipates that the current period until next year will be a breakthrough window for advanced smart driving technology, policy regulations, user acceptance, and business models, advising a focus on automotive intelligence [1]

Core Viewpoint - The smart driving concept stocks have seen significant gains following the announcement of a new national standard for intelligent connected vehicle combination driving assistance systems, indicating a positive outlook for the industry [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Black Sesame Intelligence (02533) increased by 9.04%, reaching HKD 20.86 [1] - Horizon Robotics-W (09660) rose by 7.18%, reaching HKD 11.19 [1] - Suton Juchuang (02498) climbed by 6.33%, reaching HKD 45.26 [1] - Youjia Innovation (02431) grew by 5.9%, reaching HKD 27.64 [1] Group 2: Regulatory Developments - On September 17, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publicly solicited opinions on the mandatory national standard for intelligent connected vehicle combination driving assistance systems [1] - Data indicates that the installation rate of L2-level combination driving assistance technology in new energy vehicles has exceeded 50%, with expectations for continued growth in installation rates [1] - The new standard addresses the safety baseline gap for combination driving assistance systems, providing essential technical support for industry access, quality supervision, and post-event traceability [1] Group 3: Investment Recommendations - CITIC Securities suggests that the automotive intelligentization industry chain is likely to benefit from improving regulatory frameworks, recommending investment in: 1. Leading manufacturers in smart driving research and development [1] 2. Top suppliers of lidar technology [1] 3. Leading companies in intelligent connected vehicle testing and simulation services [1] 4. Other leading suppliers of smart driving components [1] - Aijian Securities anticipates that the current period until next year will be a breakthrough window for the maturity of advanced smart driving technologies, policy regulations, user acceptance, and business models, advising a focus on automotive intelligentization [1]

Industry Overview - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released a draft for mandatory national standards on "Safety Requirements for Intelligent Connected Vehicle Combination Driving Assistance Systems," aiming to establish a safety baseline for intelligent connected vehicles [1] - The draft emphasizes that systems can only be activated under their designed operating conditions and sets comprehensive safety technical requirements, including human-machine interaction, functional safety, information security, and data recording, creating a "triple safety guarantee" [1] - The standard is expected to drive technological upgrades and accelerate the implementation of advanced intelligent driving, facilitating smoother international expansion for the industry [1][2] Market Trends - The penetration rate of combination driving assistance systems in new passenger cars in China reached 62.58% in the first seven months of this year, with sales of such vehicles amounting to 7.76 million units, a year-on-year increase of 21.31% [2] - By mid-2025, the installation rate of L2-level and above driving assistance functions in new energy passenger vehicles is projected to reach 82.6% [2] - The current period until next year is seen as a critical window for breakthroughs in the maturity of advanced intelligent driving technology, policy regulations, user acceptance, and business models [2] Company Developments - Horizon Robotics is a leading player in the advanced driving assistance solutions market, providing both chips and algorithms, with products like J6P and HorizonCell offering 1120 TOPS computing power [4] - Black Sesame Intelligence has developed the A1000Pro chip with 106 TOPS performance and is collaborating with major automotive OEMs, enhancing its product matrix with the A2000 chip [4] - SUTENG Juchuang has achieved mass production of its high-line count LiDAR products, which are now featured in new models from various automakers [5] - Youjia Innovation has secured multiple contracts in the intelligent driving sector and is investing in high-level driving assistance and L4 autonomous driving solutions [5][6]

Core Viewpoint - The report from浦银国际 highlights the growing importance of intelligent driving chips in the automotive industry, particularly as the sector transitions into the second half of the new energy vehicle (NEV) development phase [1] Industry Summary - The intelligent driving chip industry is receiving an "overweight" rating, indicating strong growth potential as it becomes a core component of intelligent driving functions in vehicles [1] - The global automotive-grade SoC market is projected to grow from 57.9 billion RMB in 2023 to 205.3 billion RMB by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% [1] - China's automotive-grade SoC market is expected to increase from 26.7 billion RMB in 2023 to 102 billion RMB by 2028, capturing 50% of the global market share [1] Company Summary - The report initiates coverage on Horizon Robotics (09660) and Black Sesame Technologies (02533), both receiving "buy" ratings with target prices set at 12 HKD and 21.4 HKD respectively [1] - Domestic intelligent driving chip suppliers are anticipated to expand their market share rapidly, benefiting from competitive pricing and production experience, alongside the trend of domestic substitution [1] - The report emphasizes that both independent Chinese automakers and leading NEV companies are driving advancements in intelligent driving technology, which will enhance the demand for intelligent driving chips [1]

Core Viewpoint - In the first half of 2025, the company achieved operating revenue of 253 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 40.4%, while net profit was -762 million yuan, compared to 1.105 billion yuan in the first half of 2024, primarily due to fluctuations in the fair value changes of financial instruments issued to investors [1] Revenue Breakdown - In the first half of 2025, revenue from autonomous driving products and solutions was 237 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 41.5%, driven by increased sales of assisted driving chips and solutions alongside the growth of mass-produced vehicles, with improved market penetration in the commercial vehicle sector [1] - Revenue from intelligent imaging solutions was 16 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.8% [1] Profitability Metrics - In the first half of 2025, the company's gross margin was 24.79%, a decrease of 25.21 percentage points year-on-year, and the net profit margin was -301.47%, a decrease of 914.76 percentage points year-on-year [2] - The gross margin for autonomous driving products and solutions was 20.9%, down 26 percentage points year-on-year, while the gross margin for intelligent imaging solutions was 82.4%, down 4 percentage points year-on-year [2] Cost Structure - The company's expense ratio was 332.07%, an increase of 179.2 percentage points year-on-year [2] Product Development and Market Expansion - The company is accelerating the mass production of its A1000 chip in various new vehicle models and is also targeting overseas markets with multiple new clients [2] - The C1200 chip is set to be deployed in several new energy customer projects, while the A2000 series chips support urban NoA and can be expanded to L3 and L4 scenarios [2] - The company aims to complete mass production and project alignment with leading automotive clients within the year [2] Commercialization Efforts - The company is actively expanding in robotics, unmanned logistics vehicles, and intelligent imaging solutions [3] - In the robotics sector, the company is developing a "brain" for robots based on the C1200 chip and has partnered with leading bipedal robot companies [3] - In the unmanned logistics vehicle sector, the company is collaborating with ecosystem partners to create an L4 autonomous driving system for low-speed functions in closed environments [3] - The company is also advancing AI smart glasses and other intelligent imaging solutions with several clients [3] - Plans are in place to pursue acquisitions of cost-effective, low-power AI chip companies to strengthen its position in the edge AI chip market [3]

Black Sesame International Holding Limited 黑芝麻智能國際控股有限公司* （於開曼群島註冊成立的有限公司） 股份代號：2533 2025 中期報告 * 僅供識別 Z:\09. IR\166448 Black Sesame IR25\Cover\Black Sesame IR25 Full Cover.indd 目錄 2 公司資料 4 主要摘要 5 管理層討論及分析 17 中期財務資料審閱報告 18 簡明綜合全面（虧損）╱收益表 20 簡明綜合財務狀況表 22 簡明綜合權益變動表 24 簡明綜合現金流量表 25 財務資料附註 65 其他資料 78 釋義 公司資料 董事會 執行董事 單記章先生 （董事長） 劉衛紅先生 曾代兵先生 非執行董事 楊磊博士 獨立非執行董事 李青原教授 龍文懋教授 徐明教授 審核委員會 單記章先生 （主席） 龍文懋教授 李青原教授 聯席公司秘書 孫曉祥先生 郭兆瑩女士 (ACG, HKACG) 授權代表 單記章先生 孫曉祥先生 核數師 李青原教授 （主席） 龍文懋教授 徐明教授 薪酬委員會 龍文懋教授 （主席） 徐明教授 單記章先生 提名委員會 ...

Core Viewpoint - In the first half of 2025, the company achieved a revenue of 253 million yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 40.4% [2][9][22] Revenue Breakdown - The revenue from autonomous driving products and solutions was 237 million yuan, up 41.5% year-on-year, driven by increased sales of auxiliary driving chips and solutions alongside the growth of mass-produced models [13][22] - The revenue from intelligent imaging solutions was 16 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.8%, attributed to the market acceptance of the company's solutions [13][22] Profitability Metrics - The company's gross margin was 24.79%, down 25.21 percentage points year-on-year, with a net margin of -301.47%, a decline of 914.76 percentage points [4][16] - The gross margin for autonomous driving products and solutions was 20.9%, down 26.3 percentage points, while the gross margin for intelligent imaging solutions was 82.4%, down 4.2 percentage points [4][16] Cost Structure - The company's total expense ratio was 332.07%, a decrease of 179.2 percentage points year-on-year, with sales, management, and R&D expense ratios at 20.37%, 67.27%, and 244.43%, respectively [17] Product Development and Market Expansion - The A1000 chip is being mass-produced in several new models from Geely and Dongfeng, with plans for deployment in overseas markets [6][24] - The C1200 chip is set to be mass-produced in multiple projects for new energy customers, enhancing the company's capabilities in autonomous driving [30] - The A2000 series chip, designed for high-performance applications, is expected to support urban NOA and can be expanded to L3 and L4 scenarios [34][36] Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations - The company is deepening collaborations with major clients such as Geely, Dongfeng, and BYD, focusing on continuous delivery and engineering development of auxiliary driving platforms [22][26] - The company is actively pursuing acquisitions of high-performance, low-power AI chip firms to enhance its position in the edge AI chip market [7][47] Future Outlook - In the second half of 2025, the company plans to continue delivering auxiliary driving solutions to major clients while expanding its strategic customer base [46] - The company aims to optimize algorithms for extreme urban scenarios and enhance the performance of end-to-end models to support the mass production of the A2000 series chip [46]