蚂蚁集团，大力投资半导体

Core Viewpoint - Ant Group is accelerating its semiconductor strategy through significant investments in key areas of the chip industry, highlighting its focus on new storage, network hardware, and edge computing as essential components of its "AI First" strategy and the establishment of a self-sufficient chip ecosystem [2][3]. Investment Activities - In the past week, Ant Group completed three major investments in the semiconductor sector, including stakes in Innostar Semi (ReRAM storage), YeZhiXin Technology (AI edge chips), and an increased stake in Clounix (high-end network chips) [2]. - In 2024, Ant Group participated in the B round financing of Metax Tech (AI chip manufacturer) and led a significant A3 round financing for MUCSE (security chips) [2]. Strategic Shift - The investments in 2025 mark a strategic shift for Ant Group, moving from a focus solely on cloud AI chips to a broader coverage of "infrastructure + frontier technology + edge applications," aiming to build a self-sufficient ecosystem aligned with its core business [3]. - An Ant Group investment executive emphasized the importance of strategic investments as a responsibility for large tech companies with abundant resources, driven by the ongoing technological revolution led by AI [3]. Industry Context - Other Chinese tech giants, such as ByteDance and Tencent, are also making bold semiconductor investments, indicating a competitive landscape in the sector [3]. - ByteDance invested in Innostar Semi in 2024 and has previously supported various chip developers, while Tencent has backed AI computing companies and increased its stake in IC design firms [4].