Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-01-22 10:08Core Viewpoint - Alibaba is preparing to push its semiconductor manufacturing business, Pingtouge Semiconductor, towards an initial public offering (IPO) [1][2]. Group 1: IPO Preparation - Alibaba's stock price rose by 4.6% in pre-market trading following the news of the IPO plans [3]. - As the first step towards the IPO, Alibaba plans to restructure the semiconductor unit into a mixed-ownership enterprise with employee stock ownership before proceeding with the IPO, although a specific timeline has not been established [3]. - Reuters has not yet verified the report, and Alibaba has not responded to requests for comments on the matter [3]. Group 2: Business Overview - The preparations for the IPO are still in the early stages, and the potential valuation of Pingtouge Semiconductor has not yet been determined [4]. - Pingtouge Semiconductor, established in 2018, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group, covering the entire chip design process and developing a wide range of products, including data center chips, AI chips, and IoT chips [4]. - In November of the same year, Alibaba launched a consumer-facing free AI chatbot application based on its self-developed flagship Tongyi model, completing a significant upgrade to accelerate its competitiveness in the Chinese AI market [4].