SiCarrier’s Subsidiary Unveils EDA Software to Propel China’s Tech Self-Reliance
A subsidiary of SiCarrier, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer supported by the Shenzhen municipal government and in collaboration with Huawei Technologies, has introduced its proprietary electronic design automation (EDA) software. This initiative is part of a broader national movement aimed at achieving technological independence amidst escalating US restrictions.
On Wednesday, Qiyunfang, the SiCarrier division, debuted two EDA products—one focusing on schematic capture and another geared towards printed circuit board (PCB) design. This launch occurred during the WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo 2025 in Shenzhen, a three-day event concluding on Friday.
The emergence of new domestic EDA tools underscores the Chinese semiconductor sector’s commitment to bolstering autonomy in chip design software—a domain long dominated by international giants such as Cadence Design Systems, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA.
In the evolving landscape of US-China trade, EDA software may soon become a contentious focal point, particularly following former US President Donald Trump‘s provocative remarks about imposing a steep 100% tariff on Chinese imports and the potential for export controls on critical software.
Presently, leading Chinese semiconductor design software firms encompass Empyrean Technology, Primarius Technologies, and Semitronix. These companies garnered attention in May when Washington implemented restrictions on EDA sales to China, although the US rescinded these restrictions in July.
According to Qiyunfang, its EDA products are designed to be compatible with various domestic operating systems, databases, and middleware platforms. The firm claims that the new software has already found favor with over 20,000 engineers.
Furthermore, the company asserts that its software performance surpasses industry benchmarks by an impressive 30%, while reducing hardware development cycles by as much as 40%.
Qiyunfang, established in 2023 and fully owned by SiCarrier, is registered in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, with branches in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Qingdao in Shandong province, and Xi’an, Shaanxi province.
In addition to schematic and PCB design software, Qiyunfang provides intelligent manufacturing systems, IT architecture services, and cybersecurity consulting, as detailed on its website.
At a press briefing prior to the expo, Guo Ziping, director of the Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission, remarked that SiCarrier and its subsidiaries would present an array of innovative products during the event.
Founded in 2021, SiCarrier has established a close relationship with Huawei, which has intensified its semiconductor design efforts since its blacklisting by the US government in 2019. In December, SiCarrier itself was added to Washington’s trade blacklist.
According to Guo, Shenzhen’s semiconductor industry achieved 256.4 billion yuan (approximately US$35.9 billion) in revenue in 2024, reflecting a 26.8% increase from the preceding year. In the first half of 2025, the city’s chip production also experienced a year-on-year rise of 16.9%, amounting to 142.4 billion yuan.
The Shenzhen municipal government, in July, introduced a comprehensive policy package aimed at fostering the R&D of high-end integrated circuits, core equipment, key materials, and advanced packaging techniques.
Additionally, a privately backed equity fund for the industry, named the Semi Industry Fund, was inaugurated in May.
During the Semicon China 2025 event held in Shanghai in March, SiCarrier premiered over 30 products, which included state-of-the-art chipmaking tools for diffusion, etching, thin-film deposition, optical inspection, metrology, and power testing.
SiCarrier’s affiliate, Longsight, also participated in the Shenzhen expo and showcased an ultra-high-speed real-time oscilloscope with an impressive 90-gigahertz bandwidth, suitable for the development and testing of advanced semiconductor process nodes, including 3-nanometer technology and beyond.
Source link: Finance.yahoo.com.
