The development of AI industry chain companies on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board is in its early stages

Economic Reference News Reporter Zhang Wen

In 2025, when artificial intelligence (AI) technology and industry are deeply integrated, the Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI industry chain companies have delivered impressive results. According to performance reports, over 30 companies collectively achieved revenue of 173.8 billion yuan, a 26% increase year-on-year; net profit attributable to parent company reached 12.6 billion yuan, a surge of 196% year-on-year. Cambricon and OB光光, two AI companies in the Sci-Tech Innovation Board’s growth tier, are expected to “pick U,” while companies like Buwei Storage and Shijia Photonics have experienced explosive growth in performance. This marks China’s AI industry shifting from the “R&D burning money” stage to the “value creation” stage.

Policy and Market Resonance: AI Industry Enters the “Fast Lane”

In recent years, China’s “Artificial Intelligence+” initiative has been implemented in depth, with continuous release of policy and market synergy effects. The “Opinions on Deepening the Implementation of the ‘Artificial Intelligence+’ Action” mention promoting the broad and deep integration of AI with various industries and sectors of the economy and society. Especially, support for the construction of computing power infrastructure has directly driven explosive demand in chips, storage, and optical communication links. Meanwhile, the “1+6” reform of the Sci-Tech Innovation Board optimized the listing path for unprofitable companies, and policies facilitating refinancing have supported companies to increase R&D investment, providing capital guarantees for AI companies to leap over development cycles.

This “policy bottom” combined with the “market bottom” is particularly evident in corporate performance data. In 2025, Sci-Tech Innovation Board AI industry chain companies saw a 26% increase in annual revenue and nearly 200% growth in net profit attributable to parent companies. Over 80% of companies achieved year-on-year revenue growth, and 80% improved profitability. Cambricon turned from a loss of 452 million yuan last year to a profit of 2.059 billion yuan; OB光光 achieved its first annual profit after listing; Buwei Storage’s non-recurring profit grew by 1,089%… Behind these numbers lies both institutional innovation’s tolerance for technological breakthroughs and market demand’s recognition of innovative value.

As industry analysts say: “The performance explosion of AI companies on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board is not only a realization of policy dividends but also a reflection of China’s super-large market advantage. When technological breakthroughs meet scenario demands, a chemical reaction occurs.”

Breakthrough in Computing Chips: Gradually Overcoming the “Choke Point”

In the wave of AI computing power revolution, the Sci-Tech Innovation Board has gathered core enterprises such as Cambricon, Hygon Information, Moore Thread, and Muoxi Co., which collectively achieved breakthroughs in 2025.

Data shows that in 2025, Cambricon’s annual revenue reached 6.497 billion yuan, a significant increase of 453%; net profit attributable to parent company shifted from a loss of 452 million yuan last year to a profit of 2.059 billion yuan; Hygon Information achieved revenue of 14.376 billion yuan, up 57%, with net profit of 2.542 billion yuan, up 32%, consolidating its leading position domestically; Moore Thread and Muoxi Co., though still in investment phases, saw revenue growth of 243% and 121%, respectively, with substantial narrowing of losses.

This progress stems from the urgency of domestic substitution and proactive technological iteration. Domestic AI chip companies accelerate independent R&D, making significant advances in architecture design and process technology. Meanwhile, upstream manufacturing collaborations provide solid support for the development of computing chips. SMIC, Huahong, and other Sci-Tech Innovation Board wafer foundry companies maintained high capacity utilization throughout the year; equipment, materials, and packaging testing sectors also benefited from expansion and technological updates, further strengthening the supporting capacity of the computing chip industry. The full industry chain collaboration of “design + manufacturing + supporting” has driven domestic computing chip industry to gradually overcome the “choke point” and move toward independent controllability.

Strengthening Computing Infrastructure: Opening a “New Blue Ocean” of Application Scenarios

The surge in AI computing demand has driven the storage chip and optical chip industries into a high prosperity cycle. Domestic storage module giant Buwei Storage achieved revenue of 11.296 billion yuan in 2025, up 69%; net profit of 866 million yuan, a 438% increase, with significant contribution from AI emerging edge storage products. Globally, memory interface chip company Lankei Technology achieved revenue of 5.456 billion yuan, up 50%; net profit of 2.236 billion yuan, up 58%, mainly benefiting from increased shipment of interconnection chips driven by AI industry development.

Driven by the acceleration of data center high-speed interconnection construction, the optical chip industry as a whole entered a high prosperity period. In 2025, five optical chip companies on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board, as “AI enablers,” achieved a total revenue of 4.619 billion yuan, up 62%, with 13.26 billion yuan in Q4 alone, a 10% quarter-on-quarter increase; total net profit attributable to parent companies was 713 million yuan, up 420%. Yuanjie Technology achieved revenue of 601 million yuan, up 139%; net profit of 191 million yuan, turning profitable. Its CW light source products for data centers saw significant sales growth. Shijia Photonics achieved revenue of 2.129 billion yuan, up 98.12%; net profit of 342 million yuan, up 426%.

Market analysts generally believe that China’s first-mover advantage in AI lies in its enormous market scale and rich application scenarios, providing ample testing grounds and continuous feedback for technological R&D. Supporting this, Sci-Tech Innovation Board data processing company Haitan Ruisheng provided data support for domestic large model development, achieving revenue of 377 million yuan in 2025, up 59%; net profit of 14.07 million yuan, up 24%.

On the application side, AI technology is moving from laboratories to various industries. Kingsoft Office’s WPS AI monthly active users are rapidly increasing; Ruilong Technology’s visual algorithms are mass-produced in AI glasses; Hehe Information has built a technological barrier with intelligent document processing; OB光光 promotes embodied intelligence through 3D vision technology. These companies focus on “AI + scenario” needs, forming a virtuous cycle of “technology R&D - product iteration - business closure,” gradually revealing and continuously improving profitability.

The inclusive policies, broad market, and active innovation are making the Sci-Tech Innovation Board a fertile ground for cultivating new productive forces. As AI technology and the real economy deepen integration, the “AI army” on the Sci-Tech Innovation Board is expected to occupy a more proactive position in the global value chain. When “Chinese chips” meet “Chinese scenarios,” and technological innovation encounters institutional dividends, China’s AI industry will write more “from 0 to 1” breakthrough stories, injecting strong momentum into high-quality economic development.