SHANGHAI – International financial institutions including Pinpoint Capital, Point72, Allianz Global Investors, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority have accelerated research activities targeting A-share listed companies throughout February. Wind data indicates over 60 A-share enterprises received visits from foreign investors this month, with electronic equipment, integrated circuits, and application software firms emerging as primary targets.
Companies such as Montage Technology, Orbbec, Smartsens Technology, ArcSoft, Vanchip, and China Southern Power Grid Energy Storage attracted particular attention, each hosting over 10 foreign institutional investors. Analysis reveals this concentrated interest aligns with accelerating developments in China’s AI large-model ecosystems, robotics applications, and artificial intelligence industrial chains.
DeepSeek and Robot Innovations Drive Investor Queries
The technological spectacle of DeepSeek’s advancements and dancing robots during China’s Spring Festival gala ignited widespread discussion, subsequently becoming focal points for foreign investors. Nearly 100 institutions including Pinpoint Capital and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority conducted intensive research sessions seeking insights into industry transformations.
Key investor inquiries centered on DeepSeek’s market impact, with responses revealing strategic adaptations:
- Beijing North Star Technology identified three transformational impacts: open-source trends, privatized deployment models, and application efficiency improvements. The company confirmed collaborative explorations with financial institutions for integrated hardware-software solutions.
- Wanma Technology disclosed comprehensive integration of DeepSeek into its systems, initiating testing of multimodal models on NVIDIA’s H20 platform. The firm emphasized performance optimization partnerships with NVIDIA to enhance service capabilities for enterprise clients.
Kong Rong, Global Prospective Industry Research Institute Co-Dean at TF Securities, observed: “As China’s foundational models approach global leadership, AI application opportunities will proliferate across consumer and enterprise sectors including e-commerce, finance, and healthcare. Global investor interest will elevate valuations across China’s AI ecosystem.”
Robot Industry Capabilities and Expansion Strategies
Unitree Robotics’ technological showcase prompted rigorous examination of China’s position in the global robot industry. Foreign institutions including Allianz Investors and J.P. Morgan pressed companies on competitive advantages and strategic roadmaps within the rapidly evolving robotics sector.
Comparative analyses and corporate plans highlighted significant developments:
- Opt Machine Vision emphasized domestic manufacturers’ superiority in responsiveness and customization versus foreign competitors, citing shorter delivery cycles and cost advantages driving market share growth.
- Unilumin Group revealed plans to transform static “screen robots” into mobile humanoid robots with intelligent interaction capabilities, targeting AI companionship markets through existing hardware and content technology reserves.
- Orbbec detailed acceleration opportunities within the robot industry, noting: “As industry giants enter the humanoid robot industry chain, our 3D vision perception products become critical components within perception-decision-execution systems. The robot industry’s expansion will drive substantial growth for enabling technologies.”
Investment banks including Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas intensified scrutiny of humanoid robot industry trends, with companies confirming alignment between product pipelines and anticipated market growth within China’s expanding robot industry ecosystem.
AI Industrial Chain: Semiconductor and Hardware Advancements
Beyond headline-grabbing innovations, foreign institutions including Millennium Management, HSBC Global Asset Management, and Point72 examined foundational semiconductor and sensor technologies enabling AI applications. Corporate disclosures revealed significant progress across multiple fronts:
- Montage Technology reported sampling second-generation MRCD/MDB chips to global memory manufacturers, supporting 12800 MT/s speeds for AI and high-performance computing workloads. The company highlighted market expansion opportunities through memory interface chips including CKD components.
- VeriSilicon Microelectronics confirmed extensive IP development for AI hardware-software platforms, spanning augmented reality glasses and AI smartphones through customized chip solutions.
- Smartsens Technology detailed product diversification strategies across security monitoring, automotive electronics, and mobile applications, developing comprehensive image sensor portfolios meeting varied client requirements.
Policy Impacts and Market Recovery Signals
Government policy influences received significant attention during research sessions, particularly regarding industrial subsidies. Vanchip addressed queries from 3W Fund, Boyu Capital, and J.P. Morgan regarding 2025 subsidy impacts, noting positive signals emerging through the supply chain.
“Post-holiday smartphone sales growth has begun translating into order improvements for chip suppliers,” a Vanchip representative confirmed. “We observe recovery indicators from certain clients and maintain optimistic expectations for policy-driven market recovery.”
Industry analysts noted that sustained foreign research activity reflects growing confidence in China’s strategic positioning within global AI and robot industry value chains, with February’s concentrated engagements signaling intensified capital allocation considerations toward these sectors.