NIO Capital Updates

▌NIO Capital Honored by Zero2IPO Research

NIO Capital was listed among 2023 Top 100 China Venture Capital Firms and Top 30 New Energy/New Materials Investment Institutions by Zero2IPO Research, a Chinese research body focused on equity investment. Notably, NIO Capital has been ranked among the Top 100 China Venture Capital Firms for four consecutive years.

 

▌NIO Capital Supports Series A+ Funding of SINPRO Intelligent Technology

NIO Capital has invested in the series A+ funding of SINPRO Intelligent Technology, a leading 4D imaging radar sensing solutions provider. The raised funds will be used to increase the company’s R&D investment and promote its product industrialization. Less than one year after its establishment, SINPRO Intelligent Technology has launched two S-series high-performance radars, SIR-4K and SFR-2K. It also earned a purchase order from a leading OEM to provide radars for its mass-produced car models in March 2023. 

 

▌NIO Capital Co-leads in Series C+ Funding of Enkris Semiconductor

NIO Capital co-led in the series C+ funding of Enkris Semiconductor, which will use the raised funds to expand production capacity, intensify innovative R&D of new products and technologies, and enhance its product portfolio. Focusing on the R&D and industrialization of high-quality Gallium nitride (GaN) materials, Enkris Semiconductor has become a pioneer in the epitaxial materials made of GaN, one of the third generation of semiconductor materials.

 

▌NIO Capital Backs Pre-series B Funding of Sichain Semiconductor 

NIO Capital invested in the pre-series B funding of Sichain Semiconductor, a high-tech chip firm focused on the R&D and industrialization of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors and power devices. The raised funds will be used to improve supply chain allocation, hire more staff, intensify innovative R&D of new products and technologies, and diversify its product mix. Currently, Sichain Semiconductor has shipped 1.5 million units of SiC MOSFET, providing products in bulk to multiple new energy enterprises. Moreover, its main drive chips for new energy vehicles, which are undergoing the verification and introduction process, have been supplied to over 50 clients. 

 

▌NIO Capital Continues to Invest in PCG Power

NIO Capital contributed to the series A3 and A4 rounds of funding of PCG Power, a comprehensive energy management service provider. PCG Power has won the support of multiple shareholders, including leading companies and industrial capital involved in the fields of photovoltaic industry chain, energy storage battery, new energy vehicle, and global real estate management platform. 

 

Leading ESG Initiatives

▌AlphaESS Awarded for ESG Endeavors by EUPD Research

Battery storage systems provider AlphaESS received the ESG Transparency Award from the Germany-based EUPD Research, an international market research and consulting firm with a special focus on renewable energies and corporate health. The honor acknowledges companies that have addressed challenges in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and integrated innovative sustainability concepts into their core strategies, truly putting into practice their ESG commitment. 

 

▌NaaS Recognized by Bloomberg Green for ESG Achievements

EV charging service provider NaaS won the 2023 Bloomberg Green ESG – Brands award, one of the series of accolades under the 2023 Bloomberg Green ESG 50. 

 

Leveraging Bloomberg’s ESG data, the Bloomberg Green ESG 50 identifies pioneers in the ESG field through a comprehensive evaluation method, which combines company visits, information disclosure by companies, and opinions of juries made up of industry authorities. 

 

▌Sunman Energy Receives SA8000 Social Accountability Certification

Sunman Energy obtained the social accountability certification SA8000: 2014, a certification issued by TUV and recognized by Social Responsibility International (SAI). The SA8000 (Social Accountability 8000 International Standards) is the world’s first international standard on code of conduct. 

 

Portfolio Updates

▌Seyond and ClearMotion supply parts for NIO 

NIO’s newly released smart electric executive flagship ET9 carries the new generation of LiDar system solutions jointly defined by NIO and Seyond, a leading provider of high-performance LiDar sensors and solutions. In addition, NIO will equip its subsequent intelligent EV models with ClearMotion1, the active suspension product manufactured by ClearMotion, which is the producer of the next-generation suspension system for automobiles and trucks. 

ClearMotion will supply its active suspension technology for NIO's upcoming ET9

 

Mobility and Logistics

▌Momenta Backs IM Motors’ Nationwide NOA Function

Smart electric vehicle maker IM Motors made its IM AD highway navigation on autopilot (NOA) function available on 389,000 kilometers of highways and elevated roads across the Chinese mainland (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), covering highways in 333 cities and elevated roads in 59 cities. The IM AD intelligent driving system continues to offer more “human-like” intelligent driving experience for users through the AI flywheel, full-process data-driven algorithm, and closed-loop automation provided by Momenta, an autonomous driving company committed to using breakthrough AI technology to enhance driving safety, convenience, and efficiency.

 

▌Eacon Attends 2023 Australia National Conference of CCCA Energy and Mining Committee

Autonomous haulage solutions provider Eacon attended the 2023 Australia National Conference of China Chamber of Commerce in Australia (CCCA) Energy and Mining Committee. Eacon’s overseas operations manager showcased the achievements of Zhushan, Eacon's autonomous driving solutions for open-pit mines, in terms of transportation safety, energy conservation, and emission reduction. 

 

New Energy

▌PCG Power Helps Oriental Yuhong and Guangwei Group Go Green

● Waterproof system service provider Oriental Yuhong saw the distributed PV project for its Zhengzhou Park in Central China’s Henan Province officially connect to the grid. The total installed capacity of the project, which is developed by the comprehensive energy management service provider PCG Power, is likely to reach up to 30MW. The project is expected to generate 703.09 million kWh of green electricity within 25 years after completion. Compared with a coal-fired power plant of the same generation capacity, the project will save 281,235 tons of standard coal and cut the CO2 emission by 702,028 tons, equivalent to planting 38.24 million trees in total. 

● PCG Power started the 2.8 MW rooftop distributed PV project for fishing tackle producer Guangwei Group. The project is expected to generate 80.78 million kWh of green electricity within 25 years upon completion of construction. Compared with a coal-fired power plant of the same generation capacity, the project will save 32,312 tons of standard coal and cut the CO2 emission by 80,538 tons, equivalent to planting 4.4 million trees in total. 

 

▌Sunman Energy Empowers Solar Power Projects in Yulin and Dalian

● Yuheng City Investment, the local government financing vehicle of Yulin City in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, completed its solar power project that uses 8,603 pieces of Summan Energy’s 520w lightweight solar modules. Upon completion, the project is expected to generate 5.13 million kWh of green electricity per year, reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide by 4,250 tons and cut the emissions of sulfur oxides by 36,000 kilograms per year. 

 

● Summan Energy’s eArc lightweight solar modules were used in the 1.5M distributed photovoltaic power generation project of Bader (China) Co., Ltd., which successfully connected to the grid recently. With a history of more than 140 years, Bader is a multinational company with world leading R&D and manufacturing capabilities for automotive leather. 

 

▌NewLink Attends COP28

The energy IoT company NewLink and its subsidiary NaaS attended the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the third time the company participated in the conference. NewLink shared its innovations and practices in promoting global cooperation for the green transformation of transportation energy at several events during the conference.

 

▌Aulton New Energy Partners with ION Rocking

Battery swap solution provider Aulton New Energy entered a strategic cooperation agreement with ION Rocking, a tech company specializing in energy services. Under the agreement, the two parties will comprehensively cooperate in the fields of vehicle-battery separation, battery services, and the promotion of vehicles with swappable batteries. Piloting cooperation in Wuhan, Hohhot, and Qiqihar in 2023, the two parties will expand the footprint of the cooperation and accelerate the implementation of “battery swap + third-party battery service” model in multiple cities across the country. 

 

▌Rongtong High Tech Project Passes Energy Saving Assessment 

Rongtong High Tech, a producer of basic materials for lithium batteries, received approval on its application for energy saving assessment report to produce cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries by the Daye Municipal Development and Reform Bureau of Central China’s Hubei Province. The company will rebuild its existing factories that produce materials for ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries. The project is expected to produce 4,500 tons of sodium-ion layered compounds and 20,000 tons of polyanions annually.

 

▌Ronbay Technology Obtains AEO Certification from China Customs

New energy material producer Ronbay Technology received the Advanced AEO Certification from China’s General Administration of Customs. The AEO certification is the highest credit rating for qualified enterprises in international trade, with a pass rate of only 0.5%. An AEO-certified enterprise proves an international recognition of the enterprise’s credit and compliance in international trade. 

 

Frontier Technology

▌Black Sesame Technologies Deepens Cooperation with Ecarx

● The Skyland series intelligent driving computing platforms developed by automotive technology provider Ecarx have been successfully deployed on vehicles. The platforms are based on the Huashan No. 2 A1000 chip of Black Sesame Technologies, as well as the real-time operating system (RTOS) of BlackBerry QNX® Neutrino®. It is the first large-scale production project in the field of high-level intelligent driving for the Huashan No. 2 A1000 chip of Black Sesame Technologies. 

● Black Sesame Technologies signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Ecarx. Under the agreement, the two parties will share visual perception algorithms, chip supply, and toolchains, and carry out research and development on joint platforms. They will also leverage Ecarx’s integrated application platform to develop and manufacture integrated software and hardware and provide leading intelligent driving solutions for both passenger and commercial vehicles. 

 

▌Seyond Jointly Completes 160km of Smart Road Network Deployment

The Intelligent Connected Road and Internet of Vehicles System Project of Suzhou High-Speed Rail New Town (Phase III) was jointly completed by Seyond, a leading provider of high-performance LiDAR sensors and solutions, and Smart Transportation, a smart transportation operator and service provider that focuses on cooperative vehicle-infrastructure systems for autonomous driving. With a breakthrough in high-confidence perception ability, the project deployed a 160-kilometer smart road network in Suzhou High-Speed Rail New City of Jiangsu Province. Notably, the core section of the road network, a 51 km holographic perception road, is the only intelligent connected road that enables 5G network-connected L4 autonomous driving services for L2 autonomous driving vehicles. 

 

▌Ambilight Brightens BYD’s New SUV

Smart glass provider Ambilight strengthened cooperation with Chinese automaker BYD, as Ambilight’s EC (electrochromic) adaptive light-sensing sunroof became optional for the whole series of BYD’s newly launched B-Class SUV Song L.