Baidu Inc., headquartered in China and listed on NASDAQ under the ticker BIDU, is advancing with plans to publicly list its artificial-intelligence chip division, Kunlunxin, on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The company has engaged several financial institutions, including China International Capital Corp, Citic Securities, and Huatai Securities, to lead the underwriting of the potential offering. Additionally, China Securities International is participating as well.
The prospective initial public offering aims to raise capital between $1 billion and $2 billion, though discussions are ongoing regarding the final size of the issuance. Sources familiar with the process indicate that the deal may ultimately lean towards the lower end, closer to $1 billion.
The announcement comes after Baidu revealed plans to spin off Kunlunxin into an independent public enterprise in order to bring greater visibility to the AI chip business, expand financing options, and enhance managerial accountability. Currently, Baidu retains a majority stake, owning approximately 59% of Kunlunxin, which it expects to maintain even after the listing process completes. Baidu also confirmed that Kunlunxin has confidentially submitted the requisite documentation for the Hong Kong listing within the prior week.
This strategic maneuver takes place against a backdrop of China's intensified efforts to develop its own AI chip industry. Kunlunxin is becoming a prominent player in this domestic semiconductor landscape, positioning itself as a notable alternative to foreign suppliers such as Nvidia Corp., whose most advanced AI chips have been restricted from the Chinese market due to U.S. export controls.
With major global suppliers limited in their ability to engage the Chinese market, Baidu's Kunlunxin has transitioned from serving as an internal infrastructure initiative to becoming a strategic national resource. The business is intended to mitigate the growing shortfall of advanced AI processing units for applications in data centers and large-scale AI model computing.
China's leading technology firms are responding to the geopolitical reshaping of the global semiconductor supply chain by accelerating the establishment of indigenous AI hardware ecosystems, with Baidu at the forefront of this transition.
Regarding future developments, Baidu has laid out a multi-year roadmap for its chip technology. It plans to introduce the Kunlun M100 processor in 2026, followed by the more sophisticated M300 chip in 2027. The existing chip series already supports workloads in data centers and telecommunications sectors. Kunlunxin has begun securing orders from partners affiliated with China Mobile, indicating early commercial traction.
Market analysts view Baidu’s initiative as both a necessity and a substantial growth opportunity amid China’s ongoing shortage of advanced AI processors. Financial institutions such as JPMorgan project a sixfold increase in Baidu’s chip-related revenue by the year 2026. Other industry estimates value Kunlunxin as a significant standalone enterprise within the AI hardware domain.
Simultaneously with these developments, Baidu is undergoing internal organizational changes. The company is implementing cost reductions, restructuring its AI leadership, and intensifying focus on AI cloud computing and autonomous driving ventures. These efforts are intended to accelerate execution effectiveness as Baidu endeavors to become a key contributor to China's indigenous AI technology ecosystem.
In terms of stock performance, Baidu's shares showed positive movement, rising by 0.67% to $147.40 during early premarket trading on the reported Wednesday. The stock is nearing its 52-week high of $151.42, signaling investor confidence aligned with the company’s strategic developments in AI.