What HiSilicon does

HiSilicon (海思) is a fabless semiconductor design company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huawei Technologies, headquartered in Shanghai with operational offices in Shenzhen and Wuhan. Founded in 2004, the company designs ASICs, SoCs, and connectivity chips spanning smart media (Honghu brand for smart TVs and set-top boxes with 8K/AVS3/HDR Vivid support), smart vision (Yueying AI ISP for security and action cameras), short-range and wide-area connectivity (StarFlash/NearLink, Wi-Fi 6, PLC-IoT, NB-IoT, Hi3861/Hi3873 MCU platforms), home networking (Lingxiao series), and emerging categories such as embodied AI (Hi3519DV500, S10 LiDAR) and hearing-aid audio (Diting). Its technology stack combines proprietary chip architectures with proprietary Chinese standards (AVS3, HDR Vivid, Audio Vivid, ChinaDRM, GPMI) and a post-Moore's Law roadmap (Tau Scaling Law, LogicFolding architecture targeting 1.4nm-class density by 2031).

HiSilicon sells chips, SDKs, reference designs, and developer tooling (HiSpark ecosystem) exclusively on a B2B basis to equipment manufacturers — OEMs, ODMs, and system integrators — who integrate HiSilicon silicon into consumer electronics, smart-home appliances, smart TVs, IP cameras, industrial IoT nodes, smart-grid infrastructure, and robots. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; distribution is direct via regional sales offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. The company does not sell to end consumers and operates without independent public reporting: its financials are fully consolidated into Huawei, which reported 880.9 billion yuan ($130 billion) in 2025 revenue.

The company's go-to-market is anchored by Huawei's HarmonyOS/HiLink ecosystem (1 billion+ HarmonyOS devices, 2.2 billion+ HiLink IoT connections, 800+ partners, 4,000+ SKUs) and by long-running design-in relationships with Chinese OEMs (Midea, Skyworth, Changhong, Baidu) and state entities (Southern Power Grid, CCTV). Notable deployment scale includes ~200 million units of HiSilicon HPLC silicon across 2.5 billion+ devices in China's power grid since 2017, CCTV's first 8K broadcast on the Spring Festival Gala, and the recent LogicFolding-based Kirin 9030 in Huawei Mate 80/90 smartphones. Operations are constrained by US export controls (in place since 2019) and Huawei's vertical-integration model, but partially insulated by domestic standards adoption and the Tau Scaling Law roadmap.

Name

HiSilicon

Legal name

海思技术有限公司

Website

https://hisilicon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

HiSilicon is Huawei's wholly-owned fabless semiconductor subsidiary designing SoCs, AI vision, and connectivity chips for smart home, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, smart grid, and robotics, sold B2B to OEMs and consolidated into Huawei's financials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fabless Semiconductor Design

NAICS

Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

System-on-Chip (SoC) Platforms (Mobile/Consumer/Embedded) (HDAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compute & Acceleration ICs (CPU/GPU/AI/FPGA/ASIC) (HDAHABAC), Audio, Imaging & Multimedia SoCs (ISP/Codec/Display) (HDAHABAH), Mobile & Wireless Connectivity SoCs (Modem/Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth/GNSS) (HDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Fabless semiconductor design
• System-on-chip solutions
• Smart home connectivity
• IoT chipset platforms
• AI vision processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Semiconductor Chip Sales: HiSilicon designs and sells semiconductor chips to equipment manufacturers who use them to build end products. Chips cover connectivity (WiFi, PLC, NB-IoT, StarFlash), display/interaction, smart vision, and MCU categories for smart home, consumer electronics, and industrial applications.
2. SDK and Software Licensing: Company provides software development kits including LiteOS, security OS, SoC drivers, media processing interfaces, communication protocol stacks (PLC/WiFi/NB-IOT/BT/4G/5G), tools, reference code, open source and third-party software, and documentation to device makers for product development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HiSilicon is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and sells System-on-Chip (SoC) ASICs, connectivity chips, and associated software development kits (SDKs) to device manufacturers. Its product portfolio covers smart media processing for TVs and set-top boxes (Honghu), AI vision for cameras and robotics (Yueying), short-range and wide-area wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, PLC-IoT, NB-IoT, StarFlash/NearLink), home networking, MCUs, and developer tools, serving smart home, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, and smart grid OEMs.

Product overview

HiSilicon (海思技术有限公司) is a global fabless semiconductor company providing chips and solutions for smart city, smart home, and smart mobility applications across consumer electronics, industrial, and automotive markets. The product portfolio centers on: (1) Smart Vision chips for security cameras, action cameras, and AI ISP (Yueying) processing; (2) Smart Media chips (Honghu) for smart TVs and set-top boxes supporting 8K/4K resolution and HDR Vivid/Audio Vivid/AVS3 standards; (3) Connectivity solutions including Wi-Fi IoT (Hi3861 series), PLC-IoT (Hi3921 series), NB-IoT (Boudica series), and Starflash/NearLink wireless; (4) Home networking chips (Lingxiao 650); (5) Developer ecosystem (HiSpark) with development tools, SDKs, training, and technical support. The company serves markets including smartphones, wearables, smart home appliances, smart TVs, IP cameras, automotive electronics, industrial IoT, and smart grid applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hi3751V900X flagship 8K/4K smart TV chip HiSilicon's flagship 8K/4K high-refresh-rate smart TV SoC with 8-core Cortex-A73 CPU, Mali-G52 MC6 GPU, and 4TOPS NPU, supporting 8K@120fps decoding, AVS3/HDR Vivid/Audio Vivid standards, and up to 240Hz refresh. Targeted at premium smart TV OEMs and display manufacturers.
• Hi3796CV300 8K+AI set-top box chip HiSilicon's 8K+AI flagship SoC for set-top boxes and smart home hubs, featuring 8-core Cortex-A73 CPU, Mali-G52 MC6 GPU, up to 9TOPS NPU, dual HiFi3 DSP, and AVS3/H.265/AV1 codec support at 8K@120fps. Targeted at STB OEMs and operators.
• Hi3751V811X high-end 4K smart TV chip High-end 4K smart TV SoC with dual-core Cortex-A73 + dual-core Cortex-A53 CPU, Mali-G51 MP4 GPU, AVS3, HDR Vivid, Audio Vivid, ChinaDRM, and 4K@120Hz MEMC. Targeted at premium 4K TV OEMs.
• Hi3751V660 mid-range 4K60Hz smart TV chip Mid-range 4K smart TV SoC with 8-core Cortex-A55 CPU, Mali-G52 MC1 GPU, integrated GPMI single-cable interface, and AI picture quality algorithms. Targeted at mainstream smart TV OEMs.
• Hi3751V560 mainstream 4K smart TV chip Mainstream 4K smart TV SoC with 4-core Cortex-A55 CPU, Mali-G52 MC1 GPU, integrated TCON and DDR, supporting AI architecture and 4K TCONLESS display. Targeted at value-tier smart TV OEMs.
• Hi3751V352E cost-effective FHD smart TV chip Cost-effective FHD smart TV SoC with 4-core Cortex-A53 CPU, Mali-450 MP2 GPU, and AVS+/H.265/VP9 decoding. Targeted at entry-level smart TV OEMs and mainstream televisions.
• Lingxiao 650 (凌霄650) Wi-Fi 6 home networking chipset HiSilicon's Wi-Fi 6 home networking chipset combining WiFi, PLC, and CPU chips with 160MHz bandwidth, 3Gbps peak speed, dual-band support, and hardware security. Targeted at home router and broadband gateway OEMs.
• Hi3861V100 MCU Wi-Fi IoT chip 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n MCU Wi-Fi IoT SoC with 72.2Mbps PHY rate, integrated PA/LNA, 32-bit MCU at 160MHz, and HUAWEI LiteOS support. Targeted at smart home appliance and IoT device OEMs.
• Hi3861LV100 low-power MCU Wi-Fi IoT chip Ultra-low-power MCU Wi-Fi IoT SoC with 3µA deep sleep current, optimized for battery-powered IoT devices including smart door locks and low-power cameras. Targeted at battery-powered IoT product OEMs.
• Hi3873V100 Wi-Fi 6 + Starflash multi-mode chip Wi-Fi 6 + Starflash multi-mode SoC supporting up to 150Mbps Wi-Fi and 12Mbps Starflash SLE for IP cameras, FHD/4K smart TVs, and Starflash gateway applications. Targeted at IP camera and smart TV OEMs.
• Hi3921SV100 PLC-IoT chip PLC-IoT SoC with IEEE 1901.1 compliance, 0.507Mbps PHY rate, 200MHz Cortex-M3 CPU, and integrated Flash storage for smart home and industrial power line communication. Targeted at smart home and industrial automation OEMs.
• Hi3921EV100 high-temperature PLC-IoT chip PLC-IoT SoC supporting 105°C high-temperature operation for photovoltaic, industrial lighting, and harsh-environment power line communication. Targeted at industrial lighting and PV system OEMs.
• Hi3911V200 HPLC chip High-Speed Power Line Communication (HPLC) SoC with 6Mbps PHY rate and 2Mbps application throughput, supporting State Grid and Southern Power Grid protocols for smart metering. Targeted at utility metering module makers.
• NB-IoT Boudica series chips (Hi2115, Hi2120) NB-IoT cellular IoT SoCs (Hi2115, Hi2120) delivering 10-year battery life, 20dB coverage gain, 50K connections per cell, and ultra-low module cost for smart meters, asset tracking, and industrial IoT. Targeted at module makers and utility solution providers.
• Hi3519DV500 AI vision chip for robotics AI vision SoC for robotics with binocular depth algorithm, DPU 2.0 hardware acceleration supporting 720P30 depth calculation, and VLA large model deployment for embodied AI applications. Targeted at robotics and embodied AI module developers.
• S10 series solid-state LiDAR-vision fusion sensor Solid-state LiDAR-vision fusion sensor module for robotics with 48m detection range, 30mm object recognition accuracy, and compact design 40% smaller than market alternatives. Targeted at robotics OEMs and autonomous navigation system integrators.
• Diting (谛听) audio solution for hearing aids and voice control Hearing aid and voice-control audio solution featuring dual DSP at 300MHz, 64-channel WDRC compression, AI noise reduction (15dB), bone conduction support, and 25-hour battery life. Targeted at hearing aid OEMs and smart appliance voice-control makers.
• HiSpark Developer Ecosystem & SDKs Comprehensive developer ecosystem providing LiteOS, security OS, SoC drivers, media processing interfaces (UNF/MPI), communication protocol stacks (PLC/Wi-Fi/NB-IoT/Bluetooth/4G/5G), reference code, open-source/third-party software, training, and technical support for partners building HiSilicon-based products.

Quantifiable outcome

• PLC-IoT achieves 99.87% control success rate across 550,000 control operations
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability17 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Southern Power Grid Digital Research Institute (南网数研院)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2024Strategic cooperation for electric power IoT industry innovation. Joint release of 'Hong Xiang Yue Ying' (鸿像越影) AI big model intelligent inspection solution and 'Hong Tong Xing Shan' (鸿通星闪) StarFlash power grid communication solution. Partnership focuses on digital grid technology innovation and electric power鸿 (Power Harmony) OS ecosystem deployment.
• Mai'er Weishi (迈尔微视)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of S10 series solid-state LiDAR-vision fusion sensors for robotics. HiSilicon provides high-precision solid-state LiDAR solutions with depth-visual fusion capabilities enabling 48m detection range and high accuracy anti-strong light performance.
• Qianxun Intelligence (千寻智能)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on embodied AI applications using HiSilicon CANN architecture AI chips. Moz robot successfully implements environment perception, task planning, and environmental interaction capabilities based on VLA large model running on HiSilicon's mid-compute edge platform.
• Zuodian (左点)coreTechnology or IntegrationG4 bone conduction hearing aid using HiSilicon Diting audio solution featuring dual DSP processors at 300M operations per second, 64 adjustable WDRC channels, and 15dB noise reduction capability.
• Changhong (四川长虹)coreTechnology or IntegrationCo-development of Changhong StarFlash TV 2.0 integrating StarFlash pointing remote, GPMI interface, and HDR Vivid audio-visual technologies. First to market with GPMI 45W fast charging functionality supporting laptops and gaming handhelds.
• Midea (美的)coreTechnology or IntegrationMidea's 90S smart voice air conditioning line controller using HiSilicon Diting wearable solution with StarFlash technology and OpenHarmony support. Features far-field voice interaction, AI noise reduction, and AI air management capabilities.
• Hailing Technology (海令科技)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint development of third-generation PLC-BUS + Wireless fusion smart home system solution. First commercial implementation of wired-wireless convergence technology for China's smart home market.
• China Overseas Land (中海地产)coreTechnology or IntegrationSmart home deployment using Hailing third-generation PLC-BUS + Wireless technology. Smart home solutions covering lighting, shading, HVAC systems with PLC-BUS distributed bus for the residential market.
• Skyworth (创维)coreTechnology or IntegrationSkyworth G7D flagship TV featuring Hi3751 V811X chip supporting HDR Vivid and Audio Vivid standards. Collaboration with BOE panel and Coocaa system for integrated hardware-software solutions.
• CCTV (中央广播电视总台)coreOthersEnd-to-end 8K ultra HD broadcast trial system construction for China's first 8K ultra HD TV experimental channel. Solution used for CCTV Spring Festival Gala 8K broadcast across multiple cities.
• Huawei, Skyworth, Hisense, and 50+ industry chain enterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPMI (General Purpose Multimedia Interface) ecosystem covering entire audio-video industry chain. Joint release of industry roadmap and USB organization SVID authorization (0XFF10) for Type-C ecosystem integration.
• HarmonyOS Ecosystem PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHiSilicon chips progressively supporting HarmonyOS distributed architecture. Ecosystem enables cross-device seamless collaboration with hardware sharing, resource pooling, and one-time development for multi-device deployment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amlogic: US/China fabless designer of SoCs for smart TVs, set-top boxes, and streaming media devices. Direct overlap with HiSilicon's Honghu media chip family (Hi3751V series) and Hi3796 set-top box chips, both serving Mi Box, Skyworth, Changhong-class TV OEMs.
• UNISOC: Chinese fabless chip designer producing mobile SoCs (Tiger/Tanggula), NB-IoT/Cat.1 modems, smart-home connectivity, and short-range wireless. Direct competitor to HiSilicon in the same domestic OEM customer base across IoT, smart home, and entry-level mobile applications.
• Allwinner Technology: Chinese fabless designer of application processors and SoCs for smart home, IoT, and consumer electronics (T-series). Direct Chinese-market peer competing in mid-range smart appliance, tablet, and entry set-top-box silicon against HiSilicon's cost-effective products.
• Realtek: Taiwan-based fabless designer of networking, audio, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and multimedia SoCs. Competitor to HiSilicon's Lingxiao home-network chips and Wi-Fi IoT (Hi3861) product line, plus audio DSP functions overlapping with Diting.
• MediaTek: Taiwan-based fabless semiconductor designer of mobile SoCs, smart home connectivity chips (Wi-Fi, NB-IoT), TV/STB SoCs, and AI accelerators. Closest direct competitor to HiSilicon across both consumer media SoCs and connectivity silicon, serving Chinese appliance and TV OEMs with overlapping product lines.
• Rockchip (Fuzhou Rockchip): Chinese fabless designer of RK SoCs for smart home appliances, IoT, and AIoT applications. Direct competitor to HiSilicon in appliance-control chips, smart audio, and edge AI silicon for Chinese consumer electronics OEMs.
• Novatek: Taiwan-based fabless designer of display driver ICs (DDICs), TV SoCs, and OLED timing controllers. Direct competitor in the TV/STB chip market and a close analog to HiSilicon's Honghu smart-media product family for global panel and TV manufacturers.

Broad incumbents

• Qualcomm: US fabless leader in mobile SoCs (Snapdragon), Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and AI accelerators. Broad incumbent competing with HiSilicon in mobile (Kirin), connectivity (Starflash/NB-IoT), and increasingly in smart-home edge AI; constrained in China by export controls but remains a global benchmark.

Emerging players

• Horizon Robotics: Chinese fabless designer of AI SoCs (Journey series) for autonomous driving and embodied AI. Comparable to HiSilicon's Hi3519DV500 vision platform in robotics/embodied-AI applications, with overlapping customers in Chinese auto and robot OEMs.
• Cambricon Technologies: Chinese fabless AI accelerator designer building training/inference chips for data center and edge applications. Emerging competitor to HiSilicon's AI accelerators and CANN architecture use cases in server and smart-vision segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HiSilicon