正文 · AI 翻译
IT Home reported on November 13 that, according to a report by Nikkei Asia this morning (the 13th), TSMC plans to establish a $500 million venture capital fund (IT Home note: approximately 3.343 billion yuan at the current exchange rate) to support chip startups that could grow into the next Nvidia or Broadcom.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, TSMC’s senior vice president of business development and global sales and co-chief operating officer, said that as the AI industry flourishes, the company hopes to use the new fund to expand the industry ecosystem and establish a more formal investment mechanism. The new fund, announced this week, may also invest in suppliers and other upstream partners, rather than limiting investments to direct customers.
Zhang explained for the first time why TSMC was establishing a dedicated investment division: “We believe it is time to establish a formal investment mechanism. We also want to broaden the scope of our investments beyond direct customers and use this opportunity to develop a wider industry ecosystem, including upstream partners such as suppliers.”
Zhang also discussed the reasons behind TSMC’s plans to invest up to $500 million (approximately 3.343 billion yuan at the current exchange rate) each in Anthropic and OpenAI. “Investing in Anthropic or OpenAI can create a mutually reinforcing cycle, making the entire industry ecosystem richer and healthier, with the potential to expand it further. We hope to continue advancing silicon technology to meet future computing power needs.”
The new venture capital fund will initially total $500 million (approximately 3.343 billion yuan at the current exchange rate), far more than the $200 million (approximately 1.337 billion yuan at the current exchange rate) Emerging Companies Fund that TSMC established in 2021. The earlier fund primarily helped startups use TSMC’s advanced chip manufacturing technology.
Zhang said the establishment of the new venture capital division shows that, in addition to providing foundry services to global chip giants, TSMC wants to support emerging companies in the semiconductor industry. “We don’t just serve large customers. When people think of TSMC, the first names that may come to mind are Apple, Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom. Yes, they are all excellent customers. But don’t forget that when Nvidia first started working with us, it was just a startup. We want to support not only today’s Nvidia, but also the Nvidia of the future.”
TSMC has committed up to $1.7 billion (approximately 11.365 billion yuan at the current exchange rate) in total, covering its 2021 Emerging Companies Fund, the new venture capital division, and its planned investments in OpenAI and Anthropic. Zhang said the existing fund had delivered excellent returns and that TSMC would not rule out expanding the new fund further if needed.