Sinsegye received 300 million yuan in Series A and A financing, and the industrial intelligent computer entered the acceleration stage

SINSEGYE focuses on developing iComputer with the aim of achieving industrial automation and intelligence based on PC technology (a type of computer architecture) and software-defined technology. The technological originator of this iComputer is Sun Ninghui, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the former director of the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He proposed a technology system that integrates iComputer with software-defined technology, aiming to transform the current industrial computing market landscape dominated by traditional PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), motion controllers, industrial computers, and edge servers. The core product development members at SINSEGYE come from the Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Alibaba, Beckhoff, Baidu, B&R, Siemens, Phoenix Contact, KEBA, Schneider Electric, Lead Intelligent, Inovance Technology, Dongtu Technology, Weihong Electronics, Lingyun Optical, Holux, Sugon, Lenovo, NIO, and Li Auto. Most team members have over 15 years of experience in chip and hardware, virtualization and operating systems, and automation and motion control fields.

With the widespread application of vision and artificial intelligence in mobile phones, automobiles, and other fields, the manufacturing sector has higher requirements for the computing capabilities of computers. Consequently, the core of industrial computers is shifting from traditional controllers to industrial intelligent computers. SINSEGYE’s iComputer integrates all functions of the existing automation ecosystem, including PLCs, industrial computers, motion controllers, motion control cards, industrial gateways, and edge servers. Besides, It also provides a combined solution of Unified Hardware plus Intelligent Software.
   
SINSEGYE has successfully launched five PC products. The Automation 2.0 operating system has achieved performance levels comparable to Beckhoff, reaching the highest standards in the industry. Additionally, SINSEGYE has introduced products such as I/O terminals, servo drives, motors, and host computer software. In short, SINSEGYE offers its customers a flexible portfolio of PC-driven, automation-centric products supported by I/O, motion, acceleration and digitization.
   

  
Compared with traditional products, PC architecture products such as Sinsegye, Beckhoff, B&R, and Bachmann have four advantages:

  
First, in terms of performance, the high-speed motion control speed and high precision, small jitter, after obtaining data and tasks, the PC controller computing speed is one to two orders of magnitude faster than the traditional split architecture. The calculation speed is fast, and the mechanical action is more accurate, which can be less than 50us;

Second, in terms of cost, compared with traditional equipment, the PLC/motion controller is responsible for execution, the industrial computer is responsible for calculation, and the system is separated. The hybrid kernel type one virtualization dual-domain operating system is put into one machine, and the hardware cost can be reduced to half or more;

The third is that programming is open, and in the past, the work was done by multiple machines, and each machine programming language was different. Now without changing the programming language, it is possible to program industry algorithms and applications on a unified programming platform;

Fourth, reliability, real-time domain non-real-time domain realizes the reliability mechanism of the dual-domain operating system, which solves the concerns of the original users about the blue screen and crash of the upper computer.

According to the introduction of Sinsegye, the current products of Sinsegye are the closest brand to Beckhoff in terms of PC performance, and have obtained bulk orders from benchmark customers in advanced manufacturing (semiconductors, lasers, 3C electronics), new energy (photovoltaics, wind power), process industries (petroleum, steel) and other industries. It is worth noting that more than 95% of the electrical components of the SX20 series industrial intelligence machine motherboard are domestic, including the use of Haiguang No. 3 CPU chip and Cambrian graphics card to realize the computing and processing of artificial intelligence.

Ma Jun said that computerized automation is a huge opportunity for industrial transition, such as cloud computing, smart phones and smart cars. Easy programming, high-computing power terminals and a new operating system are the key here; The mission of Sinsegye is to realize an open and collaborative PC automation industrial system that "transcends the monopoly of foreign brands in the horizontal general use of the industry".

In terms of production capacity and market, Sinsegye signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Lenovo Group's Southern Intelligent Manufacturing Base and became the first seed customer of the "Bright Plan". (On May 6, 2023, Lenovo Group officially released the "Bright Plan" for flexible manufacturing at the large-scale commissioning ceremony of the Southern Intelligent Manufacturing Base.) The "Bright Plan" was jointly initiated by Lenovo Group's Southern Intelligent Manufacturing Base and Lenovo Venture Capital); With Lenovo's rich intelligent manufacturing experience, high-quality production efficiency and diversified services, Sinsegye will gain great advantages in supply chain and globalization in the future; In terms of customer progress, the company has been recognized by many new customers in advanced manufacturing, new energy, process industry and other industries, such as Pilot Intelligence, Lingyunguang, Huawei, BYD, TBEA, Gaojing Solar, San'an Optoelectronics, Guoneng Rixin, etc.;

Investment Insights:

[Tianjin Venture Capital] Hong Lei, the managing partner of Tianjin Venture Capital, stated: “China’s industrial control has long been limited by foreign manufacturers, especially in the mid-to-high-end product range. The introduction of SINSEGYE presents a significant opportunity to address the persistent bottleneck issues, and more importantly, it aims to fundamentally transform the industrial control system. While this is indeed a formidable challenge, the potential rewards for China as a major manufacturing power make it even more promising. Tianjin Venture Capital has had over a decade of collaboration with the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, having invested in companies like Sugon, HYGON, SINSEGYE, and XCORE SIGMA. We have great respect for the technological foundation of the Institute of Computing Technology. The founding team of SINSEGYE boasts extensive experience in product development and has built a team with valuable hands-on experience in the industrial sector. For these reasons, we are committed to leading this round of investment. Going forward, we will actively seek to leverage our strengths to support the growth of SINSEGYE."

[CAS Capital] CAS Capital stated that in the era of Industry 4.0, the demand for strong computing power, high precision, and high reliability presents broad development opportunities for PC-based control technology. The SINSEGYE team originates from the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the company is focused on building an “integrated computing and control” iComputer, which empowers the infrastructure for Chinese manufacturing, promoting the upgrade of intelligent manufacturing. In terms of iComputer products, SINSEGYE has developed various types, including rack-mounted systems and embedded systems. This achievement occurred within just over a year since the SINSEGYE’s establishment. Moreover, the product matrix supports domestic underlying computing power chips. We look forward to seeing SINSEGYE maintain its commitment to in-depth research and development and a down-to-earth approach, keeping pace with the banner of “Made in China.”

【Capital in the country】Shi Xin, executive general manager of Guozhong Capital, said that industrial intelligence is the key to realizing a manufacturing power, and the intelligent computing and control machine is the basis for realizing industrial control intelligence, which has a huge market space and belongs to an important neck technology field. Relying on the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the era of Chinese Academy of Sciences is one of the few leading enterprises in the field of industrial control in China that adopts the national production plan to realize the integration of computing and control, and has recast the industrial control system with the help of the PC architecture ecology, changing lanes and overtaking in the new form of integrating computing and control, subverting various traditional industrial control architectures on the production control side, realizing "software to achieve industrial control", and improving the accuracy and efficiency of industrial control. We believe that with the two major opportunities of industrial control technology upgrading and domestic substitution, Sinsegye will lead the rapid development of China's industrial intelligence with the support of various resources and achieve its own breakthroughs and innovations.

[Guozhong Private Equity Investment Fund (Xi'an)Partnership] Shi Xin, the Executive General Manager of Guozhong Private Equity Investment Fund (Xi'an) Partnership, stated that industrial intelligence is crucial for achieving the goal of becoming a strong manufacturing nation. The intelligent integrated computing and control system is essential for achieving industrial control intelligence. It holds significant market potential, making it a critical area of technology. Leveraging the resources of the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, SINSEGYE has become one of the few companies to pioneer the implementation of a fully domesticated solution for integrated computing and control in the domestic industrial control sector. SINSEGYE has adopted a PC architecture solution to reshape industrial control systems, using a new integrated computing and control model that surpasses various traditional industrial control architectures in production control. This approach realizes “software-driven industrial control,” enhancing the precision and efficiency of industrial control. The Guozhong Private Equity Investment Fund (Xi'an) Partnership believes in the potential of intelligent industrial control and iComputer, as well as SINSEGYE's technological strength and product direction. With opportunities from upgrading industrial control technology and domestic substitution, SINSEGYE is poised to lead the rapid development of industrial intelligence in China, achieving breakthroughs and innovations with support from various resources.

[Cornerstone Fund] Qin Shaobo, a partner at Cornerstone Fund, stated that the rapid development of information technology extends beyond the internet, impacting various industries. For over a century, the industrial control sector has had a market size exceeding hundreds of billions. Now, the industry is undergoing a transformation and the integration of industrial control and information technology tend to be one of the key directions for the future. As one of the few domestic manufacturers and service providers of industrial intelligence, SINSEGYE is well-positioned in this context. The team consists of outstanding talents proficient in computer algorithms and industrial control, which will undoubtedly secure a place for them in the industrial control field.

[New Value Capital] Peng Qikang, the project leader at New Value Capital, pointed out that while there are many manufacturers producing traditional PLCs in China, there are very few that have ventured into PC architecture. Ma Jun and his outstanding team's dedication to research and development, along with their pragmatic approach, is truly admirable. SINSEGYE leverages domestically produced hardware incubated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and perfectly integrates it with the Codesys Runtime compilation environment. This, combined with a vast library of algorithms and the robust solutions offered by its ecosystem, has garnered the attention of numerous clients and automation engineers. SINSEGYE transcends traditional PLCs by focusing on creating a safe and controllable hardware-software integrated model that addresses customer needs and tackles challenging issues. We firmly believe that the company's products will penetrate various industrial digitalization scenarios, leading the trend of “industrial computing automation.”

[GreatOrigin Asia Capital] Lin Haizhuo, founding partner and CEO of GreatOrigin Asia Capital, said: “The core R&D team at SINSEGYE has the most extensive experience in developing industrial supercomputing platforms in China and is also the most mature team in terms of commercial products.We are optimistic about SINSEGYE's iComputer, which combines computing and control, hardware and software. We believe that SINSEGYE will become a global leader in the integration of hardware and software at the heart of computational manufacturing in industrial production.”
[Lenovo Capital] Song Chunyu, Vice President of Lenovo Group and Partner at Lenovo Capital, stated that SINSEGYE, as a portfolio company of Lenovo Capital and a sister organization of the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, adheres to the three principles of "fundamental, strategic, and forward-looking" established by the Institute. Guided by the national 14th Five-Year Plan, SINSEGYE is leveraging IT and OT as its technical pathways to break the foreign monopoly in automation brands and develop computable manufacturing solutions centered on industrial intelligent computing, thereby accelerating the smart transformation of the manufacturing industry. As seed and angel investors, Lenovo Capital is highly optimistic about the team's commitment to this direction and is pleased with the significant progress the company has made in just over a year. Moving forward, Lenovo Capital will continue to support SINSEGYE’s development in various ways.

[CowinCapital] Zhang Xin, the head of Cowin Capital's Digital Economy Fund, believes that since the establishment of SINSEGYE in August 2022, the team has not only completed multiple rounds of financing but also actively recruited talent to build a strong R&D and marketing team. SINSEGYE has ensured stable product shipments, and in the third quarter, has already recorded a significant number of large-scale repurchase orders from KA clients indicating promising performance for this year.This demonstrates that SINSEGYE has successfully accomplished the 0-1 stage of development. Amid challenges in the investment landscape, SINSEGYE's ample financial reserves position it well for the next phase of growth from 1 to 100.

[Bojiang Capital] Lu Yuanhao, Bojiang Capital project manager, stated that SINSEGYE is currently at a favorable circumstances, as national policies have elevated the construction of self-controllable industrial infrastructure to an unprecedented new height. Meanwhile, during the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry, traditional industrial frameworks can no longer meet the demands of high-end manufacturing.With years of technology development at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences behind them, SINSEGYE has brought together top talent from leading industrial automation companies from both China and abroad, embracing a 'leapfrog' strategy. SINSEGYE seamlessly integrates PLC, operational control, vision, and AI, while also supporting domestic chips and operating systems. They've developed their own IDE to create a new kind of integrated computing and control machine. This innovative approach is key to breaking through bottlenecks in industrial infrastructure and driving the transformation and upgrade of the manufacturing industry.