China's Chip in the Automotive Lighting World—Indiemicro Supports AUDI's Localized Lighting Platform

China's Chip in the AutomotiveLighting World—Indiemicro Supports AUDI's Localized Lighting Platform

As acrucial "visual interaction interface" of vehicles, exterior lightinghas continuously broken through traditional functional boundaries with thedevelopment of automotive intelligence in recent years. It has become key toenhancing vehicle appearance, brand recognition, and driving safety, rapidlypenetrating the new car market. Recognizing this, indiemicro has focused deeply on automotive lightingcontrol solutions since its establishment. To date, it has built acomprehensive scenario solution covering headlights, taillights, grille lights,interactive lights, and more in the exterior lighting field, successfullyachieving mass production and maintaining a leading position in the domesticlighting control chip track.

A new luxury species,setting off a new revolution in light and shadow.

Not longago, Audi, renowned in the automotive industry as the "LightFactory," launched its first model under the AUDI brand – the AUDI E5 Sportback. As the first new vehicle of SAICAudi's new AUDI brand, the A5 Sportback inherits Audi's century-old classicgenes while integrating Chinese intelligent technology, creating a new paradigmof luxury through Sino-German cooperation "where beauty is shared."

Unlike theubiquitous through-type headlights found in most current mainstream new cars,the AUDI E5 Sportback debuted globally with the "Starry Diamond LightCurtain" design. This innovatively combines lighting functions with thebrand logo, extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle, creating ahighly distinctive light and shadow effect.

When illuminated, 469 front lightbeads and 473 rear light beads awaken simultaneously, forming aring-shapedlight curtain spanning the front and rear. This not only outlines the vehicle'sagile silhouette but also synchronizes dynamic animation effects with vehiclestart-up and unlocking scenarios. It supports three dynamic welcome lightlanguages: Wake-up, Ripple, and Echo. Through dynamic changes in lighting, itcreates a personalized welcome experience for users.

The triangular elements dancingwithin the light curtain are derived from variations of the "A" inthe Audi brand logo. To perfectly integrate this classic element with thelighting, the AUDI E5 Sportback employs a micro-hole laser engraving process onthe body paint. Over 40,000 micro-holes are engraved on the front and rear forthe precise arrangement of 942 LED beads, with each micro-hole having adiameter of only 0.3 mm. LED light penetrates through these micro-holes,projecting nearly 2,000 triangular elements, seamlessly connecting a sense oftechnology with brand heritage.

Beyondimpressive technical specifications and dazzling lighting effects, the lightingsystem, as a core competency of Audi, consistently adheres to a"safety-first" design philosophy, and the AUDI E5 Sportback is noexception.

To fullyensure driving safety, the AUDI E5 Sportback is equipped with intelligentmatrix LED headlights. Based on Audi's proprietary matrix intelligent lightingtechnology, they enable precise beam control and intelligent zoned lighting,supporting applications such as anti-glare smart zoning and curved light carpetextension, significantly improving nighttime driving safety and comfort.

The interiorambient lighting, meanwhile, adopts a downward-angled illumination mode andfully considers coordination with interior materials. Paired with 30-colorambient lighting, it creates a visual effect where the light is seen but notthe source .

Furthermore,the ambient lighting in the AUDI E5 Sportback can achieve precise linkage withvehicle status based on real-time collected vehicle status signals. It supportssynchronization with music and navigation for rhythmic light movements, withfour layers of hidden light strips changing colors in layers, showcasing anperfectly balanced sense of ambiance, technology, and luxury.

According toGasgoo's research, the company supporting the complex control of thefull-scenario lighting solution for the AUDI E5 Sportback is none other thanindiemicro. For this model,indiemicroprovided a full-scenario lighting chipsolution covering matrix-controlled headlights, front/rear grille lights,taillights, and full-vehicle ambient lighting, achieving a breakthrough of upto 55 chips used per vehicle.

It isimportant to note that Audi has long held the reputation of "LightFactory" in the automotive industry, with extremely stringent technicalstandards and reliability requirements for its lighting systems. Taking theAUDI E5 Sportback as an example, its lighting system not only serves as alighting tool but also incorporates safety assistance and ambiance creationfunctions. This means the matrix zoning and dimming of the headlights requirechips to precisely control the on/off state of each LED, the dynamic animationsof the grille lights require signal synchronization without delay, and thecolor gradients of the ambient lights require stable current withoutfluctuation. A chip control failure in any of these links could significantlycompromise the vehicle's lighting effects or even impact driving safety.

Therefore,Audi even specially built a 120-meter-long "light tunnel" at itsGerman headquarters to simulate various environmental and light conditions,supporting the technical R&D and innovation of the lighting system. It isreported that the lighting tests for the AUDI E5 Sportback were completed here.

From thisperspective, the comprehensive adoption of indiemicro's control driver chips inthe AUDI E5 Sportback's lighting system not only highlights the highrecognition of indiemicro's technical strength and product reliability but alsosignifies that the quality of indiemicro's lighting chips, including those forheadlights and taillights, has reached globally top-tier levels.

With the"Audi" endorsement, what makes indiemicro stand out?

From firstequipping the A8L with LED daytime running lights in 2004, ushering in a newera of automotive lighting, to now featuring matrix headlights and star ringlights capable of "light interaction," Audi has stood at theforefront of automotive lighting technology innovation for over two decades.Each breakthrough in its lighting technology has attracted widespread industryattention and emulation.

Against thisbackdrop of industry benchmarking, indiemicro's successful favor from Audi canbe seen as high recognition of its comprehensive capabilities and a powerfulendorsement of its value. Particularly, German cars are widely regarded byconsumers as models of reliable quality and superior craftsmanship. Typicalluxury brands in the Chinese market like BBA (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi)originate from Germany. These brands' near-perfect focus on product and qualitycontrol also serves as better validation for indiemicro's product quality.

It is worth mentioning that,according to Gasgoo's understanding, the initially designated lighting chipsupplier for the AUDI E5 Sportback project was not actually indiemicro.However,凭借 (relying on) a persistent and professionalattitude, the technical advantages and cost-effectiveness of its full-scenariolighting solutions, as well as localized rapid response capabilities,indiemicroultimatelysuccessfully alleviated Audi's concerns and secured the AUDI E5 Sportbackproject. This sets a new benchmark for Chinese chip companies breaking themonopoly of international manufacturers in the high-end automotive lightingfield.

In fact, even before the AUDI E5Sportback project,indiemicrohad already established a long-term, stablecooperative relationship with the Volkswagen Group through continuousinvestment and accumulation in chip R&D. The extension to the AUDI E5Sportback project represents an upgrade in this partnership and also indicatesthat indiemicro's core strength in the automotive lighting chip field isgaining wider industry recognition.

According to statistics, indiemicro'sautomotive-grade mixed-signal chip solutions have now fully entered the supplychains of globally renowned foreign brands, mainstream domestic joint ventures,and independent brands. This includes the top 10 global automotive brands in2024, and the top 4 global new energy vehicle brands in 2024, among others. Itcollaborates with over 200 clients, covering almost all global OEMs, withcumulative shipments in the automotive front-load market exceeding 350 millionunits.

This meansthat indiemicro's automotive-grade mixed-signal chip solutions havesuccessfully undergone large-scale field validation and possess mature qualitycontrol systems and stable supply capabilities.

Thecontinuous rise in shipment volume has driven the simultaneous rapid growth of indiemicro'sautomotive chip business revenue, with a CAGR of nearly 190% over the pastthree years. Specifically, in 2023 and 2024, indiemicro's automotive chip salesreached 470 million RMB and 550 million RMB respectively, firmly placing it atthe forefront among domestic automotive-grade chip design companies.

Suchimpressive results are inseparable from indiemicro's firm strategic layout andcontinuous investment in automotive-grade mixed-signal chips.

Due to thehigh difficulty of automotive chip R&D, significant capital investment, andlong project cycles, most chip companies in the industry first engage inindustrial and consumer chip product R&D before gradually entering theautomotive chip track. However, since its inception,indiemicrowas willing to"sit on the endure the cold bench – persevere through hardship, spendingfive years honing its automotive-grade products and establishing comprehensiveproduct lines and technology stacks.

Upholdingthe concept of continuous innovation,indiemicrohas launched severalindustry-first solutions in recent years. These include the domestic high-sidelinear constant current source uniquely certified for ASIL-B functional safety,the first complete domestic Boost+Buck two-stage architecture + matrixheadlight control chip localization solution, and the first domesticlarge-capacity ambient light chip based on domestic processes.

It isreported that as one of China's early enterprises dedicated to automotive-gradechip R&D,indiemicrois also currently the only domestic ambient light chipsupplier on the Volkswagen Group's whitelist.

indiemicrohas also independently developed the ELINS™ (UART overCAN) communication protocol, cleverly combining the low cost of LIN with thehigh reliability of CAN. This builds a unified control ecosystem coveringvehicle interior and exterior lighting. Paired with indiemicro's rich hardwareproducts, it can flexibly meet the differentiated development needs ofdifferent automakers. Leveraging its full-scenario lighting solutionlayout,indiemicrocan provide abundant and flexible products and combinationsfor different client needs, supporting clients in rapidly advancingplatform-based development.

In thisprocess, to fully meet the stringent requirements for high safety andreliability of automotive chips,indiemicrostrictly follows the ASIL-D standardsystem in the R&D of related products. This ensures that products aredeveloped strictly according to automotive processes from the initialdefinition phase to guarantee their functionality.Simultaneously,indiemicroplaces particular emphasis on product safety; forinstance, its exterior light chip products have successfully obtained ASIL-Bfunctional safety certification, further ensuring product quality reliability.

It isprecisely this comprehensive strength in "hardware + software +protocol," coupled with the steadfast pursuit of automotive chip productsafety and reliability, that has allowedindiemicroto stand out in the globalautomotive lighting chip market. Today,indiemicrohas achieved domestictechnological leadership in multiple segments and built a solid moat throughcomprehensive synergy between technology, product matrix, and clients.

Capitalized platformempowers indiemicro to unleash new growth moment

Currently,indiemicrois undergoing merger and acquisitioncooperation with the listed company United Faith Auto-Engineering Co., Ltd.This capital operation will achieve an effect similar to listing, potentiallyopening direct financing channels to the capital market for IndieMicro. Thiswill promote its continuous increase in R&D investment, attraction of toptalent, and improvement in product iteration efficiency and mass productionspeed, thereby ensuringindiemicrocan provide clients with higher quality andmore stable products.

Furthermore, after this capital operation, Indiemicro'sshareholder structure will become more stable. In the process of competing forlocalization projects from Chinese automakers, it can effectively avoidpotential adverse effects associated with a foreign shareholder structure.

It is particularly important to note that even after this M&Acooperation,indiemicrowill maintain its operational and brand independence. Thecompany's Chairman and General Manager, Zhuang Jian, will continue to hold thecore development authority of indiemicro. On one hand, after the transaction iscompleted, although indiemicro becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of SinobonicIntelligent, Indiemicro's revenue is expected to constitute the major part ofthe listed company's revenue post-merger, and its performance is anticipated toprimarily influence the future capital market performance of the listedcompany. On the other hand, for overseas clients,indiemicro will furtherstrengthen its control and development of its own overseas marketing andtechnical support teams.

Meanwhile,indiemicro will continue to strengthen its full-chainlocalization capabilities. The consolidation of this independence andlocalization capability holds particularly profound significance in the currentglobal chip industry landscape.

Having experienced the chip shortage triggered by the globalCOVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the rapid development of intelligent electricvehicles leading to explosive growth in demand for automotive chips, domesticautomotive chips have fought a difficult battle for breakthrough in recentyears. Today, leading enterprises likeindiemicrohave emerged in varioussegments of the automotive chip track.

However, amidst the intricate global trade landscape, uncertaintyremains ever-present. The recent high-profile Nexperia case is a classicexample. At the end of September, the Dutch government took control ofNexperia, headquartered in Nijmegen, Netherlands, citing intellectual propertyissues. China swiftly took countermeasures, imposing restrictions on the exportof finished products from Nexperia's Chinese factory. Subsequently, at the endof October, Nexperia further announced the suspension of wafer supplies to itsChinese packaging and testing plants. This series of chain reactions ledseveral globally renowned automakers to issue warnings about chip supplycrises, causing significant turbulence once again in the global automotiveindustry supply chain.

Latest news indicates that China has taken measures to exemptcompliant civilian chip exports from Nexperia and urged the EU to expedite theresolution of this dispute.

Nevertheless, this incident once again sounds the alarm forChina's chip industry – only by mastering core technology autonomy and buildingfull-chain localization capabilities can it secure greater in globalcompetition. Especially for companies likeindiemicrothat possess full-chainlocalization capabilities for automotive chips, their strategic value becomesincreasingly prominent during periods of global supply chain instability.

With forward-looking strategic vision,indiemicrokeenly recognizedthe importance of independent and controllable supply chains early in itsestablishment. By deeply integrating local industrial chain resources andbuilding a comprehensive domestic supply chain system, it reduces productioncosts for OEMs while fully ensuring the security of both global and domesticsupply chains, as well as the stable, large-scale shipment of its products.According to Gasgoo, the vast majority of IndieMicro's products have nowachieved full localization and successfully passed the severe test of rapidmarket growth.

Looking forward,relying on the profound foundation accumulated onits localization path, there is reason to believe that indiemicro will continueto deepen its independent innovation strategy. With stronger technicalcapabilities and a more comprehensive industrial layout, it will gradually movefrom being a leader in import substitution to a core participant in globalcompetition. It aims not only to be a leading domestic automotive chip supplierbut also has the potential to achieve "domestic leadership, globalcooperation" in the field of automotive-grade mixed-signal chips,providing the Chinese "core" for the autonomy, controllability, andglobalized development of China's automotive industry chain.