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Hanmi Semiconductor. (Photo: Hanmi Semiconductor) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hanmi Semiconductor announced on June 12 that it will acquire approximately 50 billion won ($38 million) worth of shares in SpaceX, a private space company founded by Elon Musk.
SpaceX is engaged in rocket manufacturing and operates Starlink, a satellite-based communications service. The investment is seen as targeting the growing satellite data and global network infrastructure market, driven by the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence industry.
Musk is currently building a large-scale semiconductor manufacturing facility, dubbed “Terafab,” in Austin, Texas, with a total investment of $119 billion. The facility, expected to begin operations in 2028, aims to supply AI chips for Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI.
Approximately 80% of the semiconductors produced at Terafab are expected to be used in SpaceX’s aerospace and data center operations. Hanmi Semiconductor aims to establish a foundation for strategic collaboration by securing a stake in SpaceX, a key player in the project.
Hanmi Semiconductor said the investment was made based on a partnership between Chairman Kwak Dong-shin and Peter Thiel. Crescendo Equity Partners, a global private equity firm backed by Thiel, previously invested in Hanmi Semiconductor in 2013.
Since then, the two sides have continued joint investments in global tech companies, including a co-investment in semiconductor equipment firm HPSP in 2021 and an investment in Line Next in 2024.
Hanmi Semiconductor plans to reinvest future returns from such investments into its core semiconductor equipment business to secure long-term growth momentum.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
