Gasgoo Munich- Chinese automotive-grade chipmaker SemiDrive said on September 21 that it had completed its Series C+ and C++ financing rounds, concluding approximately RMB 1 billion ($140 million) in Series C funding raised during 2026.
Image source: SemiDrive
Key Takeaways
·SemiDrive raised approximately RMB 1 billion across its Series C, C+ and C++ rounds in 2026.
·The proceeds will support further development of intelligent-cockpit and vehicle-control chips, as well as embodied-intelligence technologies and products.
·The company is extending its product portfolio beyond automotive chips into robotics and industrial applications.
·SemiDrive said cumulative chip shipments exceeded 14 million units by the end of August 2026.
Why It Matters
SemiDrive's automotive-chip business has already provided a volume-production base, with cumulative shipments exceeding 14 million units as of August 2026. Its embodied-intelligence business, however, remains at an earlier stage. The significance of the expansion will therefore depend on whether the company can convert technologies developed for automotive applications into sustained shipments across robotics and other new use cases.
Background
SemiDrive's portfolio includes intelligent-cockpit systems-on-chip, gateway processors and high-performance microcontrollers, alongside the R1, D9 and E3-R product lines for robotics and industrial applications. In April, the company set out plans to extend its focus from automotive intelligence to more general-purpose intelligence, identifying embodied intelligence as a new business direction.
Data and Evidence
SemiDrive completed a Series C round of nearly $100 million in May. Together with the subsequent C+ and C++ rounds, the company put its total Series C financing completed in 2026 at approximately RMB 1 billion. Individual amounts for the C+ and C++ rounds were not disclosed.
What to Watch Next
SemiDrive plans to direct the new funding toward research and development of intelligent-cockpit and vehicle-control chips, while increasing investment in the in-house development and commercialization of embodied-intelligence technologies. The key indicator will be whether these investments lead to recurring shipments of chips for robotics and industrial applications, rather than remaining primarily a transfer of automotive-chip technology into new product categories.
