Hong Kong Investment Fuels StarFive’s RISC-V Chip Ambitions
Shanghai-based semiconductor firm StarFive is set to accelerate the adoption of its chips, bolstered by financial support from the Hong Kong government. This move, according to the company’s founder, aligns with China’s strategic embrace of the open-source RISC-V architecture to fortify its domestic chip sector amidst increasing US-China technological friction.
Strategic Partnership with HKIC
StarFive, established six years ago and specializing in RISC-V technology, confirmed securing an investment of an undisclosed amount from the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC). HKIC manages HK$62 billion (US$8 billion) in government funds earmarked for fostering innovation in Hong Kong. Announced on Friday, the partnership aims to leverage Hong Kong’s infrastructure to facilitate the rollout of StarFive’s RISC-V chip applications, as stated by CEO Thomas Xu Tao.
The Rise of RISC-V
Government Support for Real-World Applications
Xu Tao highlighted RISC-V’s evolution beyond fundamental research, emphasizing its current drive towards practical applications. He noted the inherent challenges in early-stage implementation and the necessity for governmental guidance in navigating these complexities.
Open-Source Advantage and Competition
RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture, empowers developers with customization in chip design. It stands as a competitor to established architectures like Intel’s x86 and Arm, prevalent in personal computers and smartphones respectively.
China has been actively investing in RISC-V, an open-source hardware instruction set architecture. Photo: Shutterstock
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China’s Focus on RISC-V
Despite RISC-V’s current less widespread adoption compared to Arm and x86, and performance gaps in some products, its open-source nature and energy efficiency are driving its increasing popularity.
- China is strategically investing in RISC-V to lessen dependence on foreign suppliers amid US export restrictions on advanced chip technologies.
- Hong Kong is committed to developing its RISC-V sector to stimulate economic growth and secure a stake in China’s semiconductor industry.
Hong Kong’s Finance Chief Paul Chan Mo-po reiterated the strategic importance of RISC-V in the city’s future planning, emphasizing its role in open-source chip design and application.
StarFive’s Product Pipeline and Vision
StarFive’s Towngas Chip, a RISC-V processor developed with Towngas, is scheduled for deployment in smart gas meters across Hong Kong starting in the second quarter.
Looking ahead, StarFive is developing “Lion Rock,” a more advanced 12-nanometer RISC-V processor aimed at data-center servers, with mass production potentially commencing by late 2024 or early 2025. Alan Chan from Full Vision Capital emphasized that HKIC’s endorsement could unlock broader applications beyond the Towngas chip’s initial scope.
Early Vision and Investor Support
Founder Xu established StarFive in 2019, recognizing the potential of RISC-V for new chipmakers in a market dominated by proprietary technologies. Investor Peter Lee of Full Vision Capital anticipated China’s need for domestic chip development following US export restrictions on ZTE.
Peter Lee Ka-kit, chairman of Towngas and co-chairman of Henderson Land Development. Photo: Dickson Lee
Broader Chinese RISC-V Initiatives
China is increasing its investment in RISC-V. Initiatives include:
- The Chinese Academy of Sciences aims to release its XiangShan RISC-V CPU this year.
- Alibaba’s T-Head recently launched the XuanTie C930 RISC-V processor for high-performance applications like data centers and autonomous vehicles.