Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the challenges faced by Hezhima Intelligent, the leading Chinese smart driving chip company, due to increasing competition from self-research initiatives by major automotive manufacturers and a lack of significant high-quality clients compared to competitors like Momenta and Horizon Robotics [1][4][10]. Company Performance - Hezhima reported a net loss of 760 million RMB for the first half of 2025, a 169% increase year-on-year, despite a revenue of 250 million RMB, which represents a 40.4% increase compared to the previous year [4][5]. - The company had previously warned of expected losses not exceeding 800 million RMB for the same period, attributing the losses to employee stock-based compensation, R&D expenses, and reduced fair value gains on financial instruments [5][12]. Industry Context - The Chinese assisted driving industry continues to grow, with L2 and above assisted driving function installation rates in passenger vehicles increasing from 66.4% to 82.6% year-on-year, a rise of 16.2 percentage points [5]. - Major competitors like Momenta and Horizon Robotics are advancing their self-research chip capabilities, with Momenta's chip set to compete with high-performance chips from NVIDIA and Qualcomm [8][10]. Competitive Landscape - Hezhima's client base is relatively weak compared to competitors, with significant clients like BYD and Geely not fully leveraging Hezhima's chips in their popular models [11][15]. - The performance of Hezhima's A1000 chip, with a computing power of 58 TOPS, is significantly lower than competitors like Horizon's 128 TOPS and NVIDIA's 254 TOPS, making it less attractive to automakers [19][20]. Future Outlook - The trend of automotive manufacturers developing their own chips poses a significant threat to all chip suppliers, including Hezhima, as companies like Tesla, Huawei, and various domestic automakers are increasingly integrating their hardware and software solutions [22][23][24]. - Hezhima's revenue for 2024 is projected to be under 500 million RMB, raising concerns about its ability to survive in a rapidly evolving market [25].