A girl walks previous the Baidu sales space on the China Worldwide Expertise Honest in Shanghai.
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GUANGZHOU, China — Chinese language search big Baidu is in talks to boost cash for a standalone synthetic intelligence semiconductor firm, an individual with information of the matter instructed CNBC.
The transfer is emblematic of an ongoing push amongst China’s greatest expertise companies to spice up their prowess within the chip sector. And for Baidu, it marks an extra effort to diversify its enterprise nicely past promoting.
Baidu’s chip firm can be a subsidiary, with the search big more likely to be the bulk shareholder, the individual mentioned. Enterprise capital companies GGV and IDG Capital are concerned discussions to spend money on Baidu’s chip agency, the supply added. Each companies have intensive investments in China.
Baidu declined to remark when contacted by CNBC. IDG Capital was not instantly out there for remark. Calls to GGV’s workplaces in Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing went unanswered.
At the moment, Baidu has an in-house chip unit that has helped to develop its Kunlun semiconductors, designed to course of large quantities of information for synthetic intelligence functions. However a standalone chip firm is seen serving to Baidu to raised commercialize its expertise, the supply mentioned.
The semiconductor enterprise would goal to promote chips to prospects in a number of industries together with automakers, that are at present dealing with a global chip shortage.
A standalone chip maker might additionally tie into different elements of Baidu’s companies, equivalent to its driverless automobile software program.
