What Wuqi does

Wuqi (物奇微电子) is a privately held Chinese fabless semiconductor company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Shanghai with R&D operations across Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Changsha. The company designs RISC-V-based SoC chips targeting short-range wireless communication (Wi-Fi 4/6, Bluetooth) and edge AI processing, with a portfolio spanning four product lines: high-speed Wi-Fi chips (WQ9001, WQ9101, WQ9201, WQ9301), Bluetooth audio SoCs (WQ7033/7034/7035/7036), HPLC power line carrier chips (WQ3011), and edge AI vision chips (WQ5007/WQ5008). Its chips integrate heterogeneous multi-core architectures combining RISC-V CPUs, DSPs, NPUs, and ISPs with proprietary RF front-end designs including low-power CMOS PA technology. The company's competitive positioning rests on industry-leading low power consumption (~3mA Bluetooth playback, 30-40% lower Wi-Fi PA power than competitors) and being among the earliest Chinese companies to fully adopt RISC-V across all product lines, with cumulative RISC-V core deployments exceeding 500 million.

Wuqi serves brand-name OEMs and ODMs across consumer audio (OPPO, Anker, JBL, Honor, beyerdynamic, boAt), smart home/IoT (Xiaomi, Skyworth, TP-LINK, iFLYTEK, Transsion), smart locks (100+ brands including DESMAN, KAADAS, LOOCK), and automotive (Geely for AI voice chips). The company sells through a hybrid model combining direct sales to major brand customers, a strategic distribution partnership with Talong/Bostada (signed May 2025), and the China Mobile centralized procurement channel following China Mobile Equity Fund's strategic investment in April 2023. Pricing is negotiated per design win on multi-year contracts. As of 2025, Wuqi shipped over 100 million chips annually and serves more than 60 brand customers across diverse verticals. The company has raised approximately 700 million RMB in 2021 C/C+ rounds from top-tier investment institutions and industrial capital, and was designated a National Specialized and Sophisticated 'Little Giant' enterprise.

Name

Wuqi

Legal name

重庆物奇微电子股份有限公司

Website

https://wuqi-micro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wuqi (物奇微电子) is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company designing RISC-V-based SoC chips for short-range wireless communication (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) and edge AI, serving 60+ brand OEMs across consumer audio, smart home, smart locks, and automotive markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wireless Connectivity Semiconductors (RISC-V SoC Chips)

NAICS

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

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile & Wireless Connectivity SoCs (Modem/Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth/GNSS) (HDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

RF, Microwave & Wireless ICs (HDAHAAAF), Audio, Imaging & Multimedia SoCs (ISP/Codec/Display) (HDAHABAH)

Keywords

• RISC-V SoC chips
• Wi-Fi 6 chipsets
• Bluetooth audio SoCs
• Edge AI vision chips
• Power line communication

Headquarters

HQ city

Yubei

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bluetooth Audio Chip Sales: Sales of Bluetooth audio SoC chips for TWS earphones, OWS earphones, smart glasses, Bluetooth speakers, and headphones. Chips are sold to audio brands and ODMs. Wuqi shipped tens of millions of Bluetooth chips annually as of 2023-2024.
2. PLC Power Line Carrier Chip Sales: Sales of PLC (Power Line Communication) chips for smart electricity meters and grid automation. Wuqi\'s first-generation chip shipped at 10 million+ units annually, maintaining market-leading position.
3. Edge AI Vision Chip Sales: Sales of edge AI vision chips (WQ5007, WQ5008) for 3D face recognition smart locks, robots, and other AI vision applications. Chips integrated by module makers and lock brands including 小米, 鹿客, 德施曼, 凯迪仕.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wuqi designs and sells RISC-V-based SoC (system-on-chip) semiconductors for short-range wireless communication and edge AI applications. Its portfolio spans four product lines: high-speed Wi-Fi chips (Wi-Fi 4/6 for routers, gateways, mobile and IoT devices), smart Bluetooth audio SoCs for TWS earphones, OWS earphones, and AI smart glasses, HPLC power line carrier chips for smart grid metering, and edge AI vision chips supporting 3D face recognition, ToF, and structured-light sensing. Chips are sold B2B to OEM/ODM brand customers and integrated into end products such as TWS earbuds, smart locks, routers, set-top boxes, and AI wearables.

Product overview

Wuqi Microelectronics is a leading short-range communication and edge AI SoC chip design company in China. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor products centered on four core product lines: high-speed Wi-Fi chips (WQ9301, WQ9201, WQ9101, WQ9001 for Wi-Fi 6/4 applications), smart Bluetooth audio SoC chips (WQ703X series for TWS earphones and AI glasses), power line carrier (PLC) chips (WQ3011 for smart grid metering), and edge AI vision chips (WQ5008/WQ5007 for 3D sensing and robotics). All products are based on RISC-V architecture, with key differentiators including industry-leading low power consumption, high integration, and advanced AI capabilities for natural language processing, computer vision, and speech/audio processing. The company targets markets including network communications, consumer electronics, IoT, and power/energy sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WQ9301 High-Performance Router Wi-Fi 6 Chip High-performance Wi-Fi 6 AP/router SoC targeting routers, gateways, and home network infrastructure. Supports 160MHz bandwidth, 1024QAM, dual-band concurrent operation, up to 3Gbps throughput. Built on RISC-V multi-core with proprietary high-efficiency CMOS PA technology.
• WQ9201 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth Combo Chip 2x2 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 chip with integrated Bluetooth 5.4, designed for mobile devices, tablets, PCs, smart TVs, IP cameras, and high-throughput IoT. Features DBDC RF architecture and ultra-low power CMOS PA.
• WQ9101 1x1 Dual-Band Concurrent Wi-Fi 6 Chip Domestic 1x1 dual-band concurrent Wi-Fi 6 SoC integrating 4 RISC-V CPUs for IoT, smart home, mobile, and consumer electronics devices. Achieves 900Mbps physical layer rate with DBDC dual-band concurrency.
• WQ9001 High-Stability Wi-Fi 4 Chip Highly integrated Wi-Fi 4 SoC integrating 2.4GHz RF, PHY/MAC, RISC-V CPU, OTP, USB, and power management for IoT and consumer devices. First Wi-Fi product of the company with mass production adoption at TP-LINK and other brands.
• WQ7033 Smart Bluetooth Audio SoC High-specification Bluetooth audio SoC with integrated DSP and NPU. World's first to achieve 3mA music playback current, leading TWS into the 3mA era. Supports BT/BLE 5.3 dual-mode with Hybrid ANC and multi-microphone AI noise reduction for TWS earphones.
• WQ7035 Smart Bluetooth Audio SoC High-specification Bluetooth audio SoC supporting LE Audio standard and LC3 codec, with integrated Hybrid ANC for deep noise cancellation and internal touch/in-ear detection. Powers OPPO Enco Air5 Pro achieving 55dB ANC depth and 54-hour battery life.
• WQ7036 Low-Power Bluetooth Audio Chip Ultra-low power Bluetooth audio chip with AI-based wind noise reduction, LE Audio / LC3 codec support, and multi-microphone noise reduction. Powers AI smart glasses such as Kannan K2 and AI OWS earphones with extended battery life.
• WQ5008 Multi-Modal 3D Vision Processing Chip Edge AI 3D vision processing chip supporting simultaneous binocular ToF, binocular structured light, and hybrid structured-light+ToF fusion. Includes self-developed ISP, 0.5T NPU, TrustZone encryption for robotics, smart locks, and autonomous navigation.
• WQ5007 / WQ5007A 3D Structured-Light Face Recognition Chip Low-power 3D structured-light face recognition edge computing chip for smart door locks with biometric authentication. Achieved over 50% market share in 3D face-recognition smart lock segment, deployed at Xiaomi, LOOCK, DESMAN, KAADAS, and 100+ lock brands.
• WQ3011 HPLC Power Line Carrier Chip First-generation HPLC power line carrier chip and China's first chip based on RISC-V architecture. Achieves 10M+ annual shipments, used in smart electricity meters, smart lighting, photovoltaic systems, and power grid automation.

Quantifiable outcome

• WQ7033 achieves ~3mA Bluetooth music playback current, the lowest in the industry, extending TWS battery life from 7 hours to 11 hours at same battery capacity
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, strategic and core.

• MozinsupportingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 June 2026Mozin\'s Fold M1 Pro AI camera earphones embed Wuqi\'s WQ7034 chip for audio, AI translation, and extended battery functionality.
• 加南科技 (Jianan Technology)strategicOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 May 2026Jianan Technology\'s Kannan K2 AI smart glasses (world\'s lightest at 25.8g) embed Wuqi\'s WQ7036 intelligent audio chip, providing audio processing, stable Bluetooth connection, and long battery life for AI interaction features.
• 阿里巴巴达摩院玄铁 (T-Head/Alibaba Xuantie)strategicTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2026Wuqi\'s WQ9301 Wi-Fi 6 router chip uses T-Head\'s Xuantie E907 dual-core RISC-V processor. Wuqi\'s WQ9301 won the \'玄铁优选芯片\' (Xuantie Preferred Chip) award at the 2026 Xuantie RISC-V Ecosystem Conference. The partnership combines Wuqi\'s communication chip design with T-Head\'s RISC-V processor IP.
• Bluetooth SIG (蓝牙技术联盟)strategicTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2025Bluetooth SIG CEO Neville Meijers and leadership visited Wuqi\'s Shenzhen R&D center in October 2025 for in-depth exchanges on Bluetooth technology trends, new market applications, and future opportunities. Wuqi, as a Bluetooth SIG member since early Bluetooth versions, has completed latest Bluetooth 6.0 certification on its Wi-Fi 6+BT Combo chip series. Wuqi was invited to the first meeting of Bluetooth SIG\'s newly formed China Interest Group.
• 太龙股份 / 博思达科技 (Bostada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2025Wuqi signed a strategic cooperation agreement with 太龙股份 and its subsidiary 博思达科技 in May 2025. Bostada leverages its established sales network and technical FAE team to represent Wuqi\'s network communication chips and smart interactive device chips to a broader customer base. The partnership combines Wuqi\'s chip technology with Bostada\'s market channels and professional services.
• RISC-V工委会 (RISC-V Industry Working Committee)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Wuqi officially joined the RISC-V工委会 in February 2024, an industry association under CESA with 70+ member companies including 上海海思, 平头哥半导体, 中国移动, and CAS. Wuqi participates in standards development, testing and certification, and ecosystem building for RISC-V in China.
• 星闪联盟 (SparkLink Alliance) and HWA AlliancesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Wuqi joined both the SparkLink Alliance and HWA (Huawei Audio) Alliance in September 2022, contributing to short-range wireless communication and wireless audio industry ecosystem development.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MediaTek: Taiwan-based global fabless semiconductor leader in mobile SoCs, Wi-Fi, and connectivity. Through Airoha, competes directly with Wuqi in Bluetooth audio; broader portfolio overlaps in Wi-Fi 6/7 and edge AI for mobile and consumer markets.
• Realtek Semiconductor: Taiwan-based large fabless semiconductor company offering Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and network connectivity chips as part of a broad portfolio. Larger established player competing with Wuqi across Wi-Fi/BT segments, particularly in router, PC, and consumer electronics.
• Qualcomm: US-based global fabless semiconductor leader in wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) and edge AI compute. Wuqi's founder Dr. Zheng Jiansheng previously held senior roles at Qualcomm; Qualcomm's connectivity portfolio (now under CSR/Qualcomm) competes with Wuqi in premium Wi-Fi and BT audio SoCs globally.

Direct peers

• Espressif Systems: Shanghai-based fabless semiconductor company specializing in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth SoCs (ESP32, ESP8266) for IoT. Direct competitor to Wuqi's Wi-Fi/BT product lines with overlapping target markets in smart home, IoT, and consumer electronics.
• Maxscend Microelectronics: China-based RF front-end chip designer. Comparable as a domestic Chinese fabless semiconductor competitor in RF/wireless components, addressing similar Chinese OEM customers with adjacent technology in the wireless connectivity stack.
• Beken Corporation: Shanghai-listed Chinese fabless semiconductor company designing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth IoT chips. Comparable business model and customer overlap with Wuqi in low-power wireless connectivity SoCs for IoT and consumer markets.
• Actions Technology: China-based fabless semiconductor company focused on Bluetooth audio SoCs for TWS earbuds and smart speakers. Direct competitor to Wuqi's WQ703X Bluetooth audio product line serving the same audio brand customers (Anker, JBL, etc.).
• Nordic Semiconductor: Norway-based fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low power short-range wireless SoCs (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread). Direct competitor to Wuqi's Bluetooth audio and Wi-Fi IoT product lines, particularly in low-power design philosophy and IoT/wearable end markets.
• Airoha Technology (MediaTek subsidiary): MediaTek subsidiary focused on Bluetooth audio SoCs for TWS earbuds and wireless headsets. Direct competitor to Wuqi's WQ703X Bluetooth audio chips, particularly serving premium audio brands and global OEMs.

Emerging players

• HiSilicon (Huawei): Huawei's chip design subsidiary developing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AI chips for Huawei consumer products and select partners. Comparable as a domestic Chinese connectivity chip designer, though constrained by US export controls limiting its broader market reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wuqi-microelectronics-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Wuqi