(Yicai) July 14 -- Chinese startup Shanghai Oriental Compute Core Technology has released its debut flagship product, the world's first artificial intelligence chip built on a software-defined, near-memory computing three-dimensional architecture.

The DF100 is China's first AI chip adopting dynamic random-access memory-logic, wafer-level hybrid bonding 3D vertical packaging, aiming to address the memory, bandwidth, and power struggles of China's high-end computing chip industry and meet intensive computing demand, such as large model training and inference, Guo Wei, vice president of Oriental Compute, told Yicai.

Developed on a fully domestic supply chain, the DF1000 series leverages software-defined chip technology to decouple hardware and software and enable dynamic reconfiguration, drastically boosting hardware resource utilization while delivering a computing power of 520 Teraflops at Brain Float 16 on relatively mature process nodes, Guo explained.

Oriental Compute's core solution lies in integrating software-defined technology and near-memory computing, Wei Shaojun, the company's chairman and chief executive, told Yicai. Software-defined chip technology addresses the fundamental challenges of high computing and energy efficiency, while near-memory computing mitigates bandwidth limitations to deliver large storage capacity and ultra-high bandwidth.

"The launch of the DF1000 will help China's high-end computing chip sector reduce reliance on advanced manufacturing processes and forge a new path toward independent and controllable supply chains," Guo said. "It also breaks the memory wall and unlocks full computing potential via an innovative computing-storage architecture.

The successful development of the DF1000 delivers a viable, scalable technical route for China's high-end computing chips, Wei said. Architectural innovations offset limitations in manufacturing, eliminating reliance on cutting-edge international process platforms, he noted, adding that the chip enables stable, controllable supply chains and sustainable independent technological iteration without advanced leading-edge nodes.

However, Wei acknowledged that even though the new technical route achieves high performance with non-leading manufacturing processes, fabrication technology remains the ultimate performance ceiling. "We will deliver even better products once we gain access to superior process technologies."

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione