Chinese chip startup Dongfang Suanxin uses 3D stacking to bypass US controls

Dongfang Suanxin, a Chinese AI chip startup led by Wei Shaojun (vice-president of the China Semiconductor Industry Association), has emerged from stealth mode after being founded in 2024. The company launched a corporate website and social media account on Wednesday, positioning itself as a key player in China's AI computing sector. Its core technologies—software-defined chips and 3D stacked near-memory computing—allow for ultra-high-performance chips built entirely with a domestic supply chain, sidestepping US export controls on advanced semiconductors.

This strategic bet on 3D stacking reflects a wider trend in the post-Moore's Law era, where global chip giants are turning to vertical architecture as traditional scaling hits physical limits. The move also follows Huawei's recent proposal of the "Tau Scaling Law," which aims to achieve equivalent transistor density gains through 3D innovation. For Chinese AI chipmakers, such approaches are becoming critical to maintaining competitiveness while navigating geopolitical restrictions on advanced manufacturing equipment.