(Bloomberg) — Nvidia Corp. has added hundreds of staff in China this year to strengthen its research capabilities and focus on new self-driving technology.
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The world’s second-most valuable company will end the year with about 4,000 employees, up from just about 3,000 at the start of 2024, people familiar with the company’s operations said. In a key part of its expansion, Nbudia has added about 200 people to Beijing to strengthen its team of researchers working on self-driving cars, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. The company has also expanded its after-sales service and networking software development teams, one of the people said.
Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia is expanding its workforce globally to meet exploding demand for its artificial intelligence chips. China is affected by U.S. trade restrictions that prevent Nvidia from selling cutting-edge semiconductors there, but the company still generated $5.4 billion in sales in the September quarter. The country remains an important market and center of excellence for U.S. chip designers.
While Nvidia has sought to maintain good relations with the Chinese government, local antitrust regulators this week announced an investigation into Nvidia’s 2020 acquisition of Mellanox, which the regulator had previously conditionally approved. The investigation began just weeks after CEO Jensen Huang highlighted China’s technology contributions during a visit to Hong Kong.
A company representative declined to comment.
The investigation could lead to fines and demands for remedial action and is seen as likely part of the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China. US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened additional tariffs on Chinese goods, and the Chinese government has announced a ban on exports of key raw materials.
The Chinese government’s support for domestic electric vehicle manufacturers has helped the country achieve a leading position in pioneering EV technology and lower prices for new types of connected cars. Nvidia has been developing driving automation and AI software for more than a decade, but its efforts have yet to bear fruit. The company’s China-based researchers will be well-positioned to collaborate with local automakers looking for such technology to enhance their products.
As of February, Nvidia had 29,600 employees in 36 countries, according to a company filing. The company has expanded in China over the past few years and now has nearly 600 employees in Beijing and recently opened a new office in the technology hub of Zhongguancun, the people said.
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