In the global pressure sensor market, international companies such as Bosch and Honeywell have been leaders in technology and market share, representing the industry leaders. However, China's own brand Chongqing Aurumsense Sensor Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Aurumsense) is rapidly rising, with its strong technology research and development capabilities and rapid market expansion speed, gradually winning a place in the domestic and foreign markets.
Last Friday, the Greater Bay Area Alliance of the China Sensor and Internet of Things Industry Alliance held an inauguration ceremony in Guangming District, Shenzhen. The event attracted many experts and entrepreneurs from inside and outside the industry to discuss the future development and industrial cooperation of sensor and IoT technology. Chen Lu, editor-in-chief of China Exportsemi web, attended the event and shared a keynote speech by Ms. Zhang Yunjing, Minister of Investment and Financing of Aurumsense. In this article, China Exportsemi web will try to analyze the development history, technical strength and market prospects of Aurumsense, and discuss how it stands out in the fierce global competition.
Background and development history
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Chongqing, Aurumsense has been positioned to develop high-precision, high-reliability, and high-stability MEMS pressure sensors and chips from the beginning of its establishment. Despite its relatively short existence, Aurumsense's core management team has more than 30 years of industry experience in the field of MEMS pressure sensors and chips, and its general manager, Peter Krause, is from Germany, was the founder and CTO of a world-renowned sensor company, and is currently the president of the AMA Association in Germany. This international technical background has enabled Aurumsense to compete with the world's top companies from the very beginning.
According to Zhang Yunjing's introduction, the company quickly completed the whole process construction from chip research and development to mass production in just three years. In 2020, Aurumsense completed the A-sample verification of the chip, and the following year, it achieved B-sample verification and entered the low-volume production stage. By 2023, Aurumsense has completed the construction of the production line, covering the complete industrial chain from chip design and production, sensor packaging manufacturing to complete machine assembly. In the same year, the company achieved breakeven for the first time, with an operating income of more than 93 million yuan. This speed and achievement have attracted a lot of attention in the industry.
Figure: Ms. Zhang Yunjing, Director of Investment and Financing of Aurumsense, introduces the company's status
A global benchmark for technical prowess
Aurumsense's core competitiveness lies in its self-developed MEMS pressure sensor and chip technology, especially in the field of high-voltage and micro-pressure sensors. At present, the mainstream technology of global pressure sensors is mainly concentrated in four categories: metal diaphragm, silicon diaphragm, ceramic diaphragm and separation diaphragm. The R&D of Aurumsense covers many of these fields, and has made significant progress in the research and development of automotive chips, glass micro-melting chips and sensors. The glass micro-melting chip can withstand a maximum pressure of up to 300 megapascals, which is equivalent to several times the bearing pressure required by an ordinary house structure, and this high-voltage sensing technology has a wide range of application prospects in construction machinery, deep-sea exploration, industrial automation and other fields. In 2023, Aurumsense will develop and design a new type of buried absolute pressure automotive chip, which will be reduced to 0.5mm*0.5mm, which has achieved remarkable results in reducing the cost of automotive supply parts.
Compared to international giants, Aurumsense has not stopped at catching up with technology, but already has the potential to surpass in some key areas. For example, high-precision pressure sensor chips can achieve an accuracy of up to 2.5 parts per 10,000, which is the world's leading figure. The company is aggressively expanding its market share and expects its high-pressure chip products to surpass some international companies that have long occupied the domestic market in 2024.
In addition, Aurumsense also focuses on combining international advanced technology with local manufacturing capabilities to form a cost-effective product strategy. Through its leading technology and rapid response ability to the market, the company has also been recognized by many industry giants at home and abroad in the market. It is worth mentioning that Aurumsense's production equipment can realize fully customized product development, and gradually help major customers achieve comprehensive domestic substitution according to the needs of customers in the domestic market, which also makes Aurumsense have stronger autonomy and market resilience in the international competitive environment.
Market performance and future outlook
In terms of market performance, Aurumsense has rapidly grown from a start-up to a significant player in the industry. In 2023, Aurumsense's market share in the domestic high-end pressure sensor chip field is close to 10%, which is an amazing achievement for a company that has only been established for three years. It is expected that by 2025, Aurumsense's market share will further increase, and it is even expected to challenge the leading position in the domestic market.
From the perspective of the global market, Aurumsense is also actively deploying. The company has an R&D center in Germany, which is not only responsible for technical support in the European market, but also quickly opens the door to overseas markets through cooperation with local companies. Taking the automotive industry as an example, Aurumsense's automotive pressure chips have entered the supply chain of some European high-end car brands, which not only brings a stable source of revenue for the company, but also enhances the international influence of its brand.
In the future, with the in-depth promotion of intelligent manufacturing and Industry 4.0, the market demand for pressure sensors will show exponential growth. According to market research institutes, the global pressure sensor market will reach more than $10 billion by 2027, while the Chinese market will grow at an average annual rate of more than 12%. In this context, the market potential of Aurumsense is undoubtedly huge.
However, Aurumsense also faced some challenges. The first is the pressure to continue to innovate in technology. Although the company has certain advantages in technology, in order to maintain a leading position in the fierce market competition, continuous R&D investment and technology iteration are required. In addition, as the market expanded, Aurumsense needed to improve its production capacity and supply chain management to meet the challenges of mass production and global operations.
Summary
As China's independent pressure chip and sensor brand, Aurumsense is rising rapidly. Through an international technical team, rapid market expansion and strong independent R&D capabilities, Aurumsense has achieved a leap from start-up to industry technology leadership in just a few years.
Despite the challenges ahead, Aurumsense's success provides valuable lessons for other semiconductor and sensor companies in China. In the context of globalization, if Chinese enterprises want to gain a foothold and make breakthroughs in the field of high-end technology, they must, like Aurumsense, adhere to independent innovation, actively absorb international advanced technology, and flexibly respond to market changes.
In the end, the success of Aurumsense is not only a victory for the company itself, but also an important practice for China's semiconductor industry to go global and high-end. This company will continue to forge ahead in the field of pressure sensors, gradually narrow the gap with international giants, and in the near future, become an important force to be reckoned with in the global sensor market.
