Quick Takeaways
- Chery autonomous driving chip investment strengthens control over next-generation intelligent driving hardware.
- The move signals deeper automaker–chipmaker integration to accelerate high-level smart driving deployment.
On January 19, corporate registry information disclosed that Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. has taken an equity stake in BotHeart (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd., also known as Xinxin Hangtu. Following the transaction, BotHeart’s registered capital rose to 18.7169 million yuan, underlining Chery’s autonomous driving chip investment focus on securing core intelligent driving hardware.
Founded in December 2023, BotHeart operates in integrated circuit design with a dedicated emphasis on autonomous driving chips. The company differentiates itself through deep software–hardware co-design, aligning advanced algorithms with chip architecture. This development path is intended to balance system performance, user experience, and cost efficiency in intelligent driving solutions.
X7 Autonomous Driving Chip Architecture
BotHeart’s first product, the X7, is a high-performance single-core chip designed for high-level urban Navigation on Autopilot applications. To address the industry’s transition toward one-stage end-to-end large models, the company developed a proprietary Neural Processing Unit architecture tailored for this platform.
The ultra-large core design prioritizes computing density and speed, enabling highly efficient software–hardware coordination. This structure supports complex perception and decision-making workloads required for advanced urban driving scenarios.
Hardware Compatibility and Safety Capabilities
The X7 integrates 10 Gigabit Ethernet and PCIe 4.0 interfaces, allowing rapid processing of large sensor data volumes. Its fusion capability combines visual and LiDAR inputs to maintain stability in challenging weather conditions and sudden road events.
From a safety standpoint, the chip incorporates a built-in ASIL-D safety MCU. It has achieved ISO 26262 ASIL-B functional safety certification and National Secret Level 2 information security certification, establishing a robust protection layer for intelligent driving operations.
Alignment With Chery Smart Driving Strategy
This Chery autonomous driving chip investment closely supports the automaker’s broader intelligentization roadmap. As an early mover in intelligent connectivity, Chery has developed a comprehensive research and development framework. Its Falcon Smart Driving solution is planned to extend across all brand models by 2025, significantly increasing demand for high-performance computing platforms.
BotHeart’s chip-level expertise is expected to complement Chery’s end-to-end model development and full-scenario driving objectives. The collaboration is positioned to accelerate the large-scale deployment of advanced intelligent driving features.
Strengthened Shareholder and Innovation Base
Prior to Chery’s entry, BotHeart completed multiple angel funding rounds with backing from NIO Capital, SAIC-affiliated investment entities, and IDG Capital. With the latest investment, the company’s shareholder structure gains further strategic depth.
BotHeart currently holds 17 patents and 36 registered trademarks, reflecting its growing technical credibility in the autonomous driving chip segment. Industry observers view this partnership as a meaningful step toward narrowing the gap between automakers and semiconductor suppliers, while supporting Chery’s ambitions to introduce high-end smart driving vehicles in global markets.
Founded in December 2023, BotHeart operates in integrated circuit design with a dedicated emphasis on autonomous driving chips. The company differentiates itself through deep software–hardware co-design, aligning advanced algorithms with chip architecture. This development path is intended to balance system performance, user experience, and cost efficiency in intelligent driving solutions.
X7 Autonomous Driving Chip Architecture
BotHeart’s first product, the X7, is a high-performance single-core chip designed for high-level urban Navigation on Autopilot applications. To address the industry’s transition toward one-stage end-to-end large models, the company developed a proprietary Neural Processing Unit architecture tailored for this platform.
The ultra-large core design prioritizes computing density and speed, enabling highly efficient software–hardware coordination. This structure supports complex perception and decision-making workloads required for advanced urban driving scenarios.
Hardware Compatibility and Safety Capabilities
The X7 integrates 10 Gigabit Ethernet and PCIe 4.0 interfaces, allowing rapid processing of large sensor data volumes. Its fusion capability combines visual and LiDAR inputs to maintain stability in challenging weather conditions and sudden road events.
From a safety standpoint, the chip incorporates a built-in ASIL-D safety MCU. It has achieved ISO 26262 ASIL-B functional safety certification and National Secret Level 2 information security certification, establishing a robust protection layer for intelligent driving operations.
Alignment With Chery Smart Driving Strategy
This Chery autonomous driving chip investment closely supports the automaker’s broader intelligentization roadmap. As an early mover in intelligent connectivity, Chery has developed a comprehensive research and development framework. Its Falcon Smart Driving solution is planned to extend across all brand models by 2025, significantly increasing demand for high-performance computing platforms.
BotHeart’s chip-level expertise is expected to complement Chery’s end-to-end model development and full-scenario driving objectives. The collaboration is positioned to accelerate the large-scale deployment of advanced intelligent driving features.
Strengthened Shareholder and Innovation Base
Prior to Chery’s entry, BotHeart completed multiple angel funding rounds with backing from NIO Capital, SAIC-affiliated investment entities, and IDG Capital. With the latest investment, the company’s shareholder structure gains further strategic depth.
BotHeart currently holds 17 patents and 36 registered trademarks, reflecting its growing technical credibility in the autonomous driving chip segment. Industry observers view this partnership as a meaningful step toward narrowing the gap between automakers and semiconductor suppliers, while supporting Chery’s ambitions to introduce high-end smart driving vehicles in global markets.
Company Press Release
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