• Opinion
A Berlin-based think tank offers a graphical and analytical overview on "Who is funding the chips of the future?"
By Peter Clarke
What’s at stake:
China is the world’s No. 1 investor in semiconductor startups. It is locked in a desperate struggle to catch up with the West and avoid the suffocating effects of American-led technology sanctions. Even without US opposition, though, China’s investments may not yield the expected returns.
For many years China has been directly and indirectly funding domestic semiconductor startup activities.
The rest of the world may have been aware that something was going on, via anecdotal details and various slices of investment data. But it is unlikely that many people will have seen the big picture.