Amid Anti-Monopoly Probe, NVIDIA on a Hiring Spree in China 

Amid trade restrictions and a probe into suspicions of violating China’s anti-monopoly law, US chipmaker NVIDIA has hired 200 people to expand its research and development into autonomous AI-driven cars, Bloomberg reported.  

The company now employs around 4,000 people in China, up from about 3,000 at the start of 2024, the media house reported, citing sources. The company also strengthened its after-sales and software development teams to better support its operations in the region.

China is a crucial market for the chipmaker, both as a significant revenue source and as a hub for advancing its R&D capabilities. The probe by China is the latest salvo in the ongoing US-China trade war over the semiconductor market. 

An email sent to NVIDIA did not elicit any response. 

The East Asian country remains a key market for NVIDIA, generating $5.4 billion in revenue in the last quarter alone. Reports even claim that GPU-giant NVIDIA is preparing a specialised AI chip for the Chinese market.

This is all the more important as NVIDIA’s strategic partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), stopped shipping 7nm and below chips, including GPUs, to Chinese AI chipmakers following U.S. sanctions to block Huawei’s indirect access.

With intensifying competition in the global semiconductor industry, TSMC is engaging in strategic discussions with NVIDIA to produce its Blackwell AI chips at its Arizona facility. 

The demand for Blackwell chips has propelled the company’s financial performance. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company reported record revenue of $35.1 billion, a 94% increase year-over-year, controlling 95% of the AI chip market.

Challenges in China

China’s growing electric vehicle (EV) industry presents significant opportunities for NVIDIA. Domestic automakers are eager to incorporate advanced automation and AI technologies into their offerings, aligning well with NVIDIA’s decade-long expertise in driving automation.

Globally, NVIDIA employs nearly 30,000 people across 36 countries. Its expansion in China includes a new office in Beijing’s Zhongguancun tech hub, positioning the company to collaborate more effectively with local industry leaders.

China’s very own Baidu continues to make strides in autonomous vehicles with its Apollo project, achieving L4 autonomy across major Chinese cities and competing with players like Waymo and Tesla Robotaxi. It also serves as a platform provider for several automakers. On the computing front, Baidu launched Baige 4.0, its upgraded AI Heterogeneous Computing Platform, improving cluster stability and efficiency.