Chinese AI Stocks Surge Into 2026 as Chip IPOs Ignite Hong Kong Listings

Chinese technology stocks surge into 2026 as Shanghai Biren’s AI chip IPO jumps nearly 120% in Hong Kong, signaling revived investor confidence fueled by domestic chip demand, U.S. export controls, and a robust pipeline of new listings.

Chinese tech shares are testing the strength of their artificial intelligence-led rally at the start of the year, with strong gains driven by a blockbuster IPO and expectations of more listings tied to homegrown chip development.

Shanghai Biren’s IPO Sparks Renewed Investor Appetite

Shares of Shanghai Biren Technology, an artificial intelligence chip designer, soared nearly 120% by midday Friday in Hong Kong after the company raised 5.58 billion Hong Kong dollars, or $717 million, in its initial public offering.

The Chinese AI stock opens at 35.70 Hong Kong dollars, far above its IPO price of 19.60 Hong Kong dollars, according to exchange data. The retail portion of the offering has been subscribed to more than 2,300 times, reflecting intense demand for Chinese-made AI hardware.

The strong debut adds momentum to a rally that has gathered pace since the breakout of DeepSeek-R1, a China-developed AI model launched early last year. That development helps lift sentiment toward domestic technology champions after years of regulatory pressure and slowing economic growth.

Investors see Biren’s listing as a signal that confidence is returning to a sector battered by policy crackdowns and weak consumer demand. Market participants also point to Hong Kong’s role as the preferred venue for Chinese technology firms seeking international capital.

Domestic Chips Gain as U.S. Curbs Bite

Chinese AI Stocks and semiconductor stocks rally throughout 2025 as Washington tightens export controls on advanced chips from U.S. firms such as Nvidia, accelerating demand for domestic alternatives.

The Hang Seng Tech Index rises 23% in 2025 and jumps as much as 3.9% on Friday, reflecting broad-based gains across AI-related shares.

“Nvidia’s once-dominant position in China’s AI chip market has effectively evaporated in 2025, marking a seismic shift in the global intelligent-computing landscape,” analyst Andrei Zakharov writes in a recent note published on Smartkarma.

Startups including Cambricon, Moore Threads, and Metax attract billions of dollars in funding as they race to supply chips for data centers, large language models, and industrial AI uses. The surge in investment also creates new personal wealth, with several founders joining the ranks of China’s billionaires despite continued weakness in the broader economy.

Analysts say the chip push is partly a strategic response to supply constraints and partly a bet that domestic technology can close performance gaps with foreign rivals.

More AI Listings Line Up in Hong Kong

Shanghai Biren’s debut is expected to be followed by a wave of additional AI-related listings, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a key fundraising hub.

Baidu said Friday that its artificial intelligence chip unit has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong listing, signaling that major technology firms are moving to capitalize on investor demand.

At least 25 companies debuted in Hong Kong last month, the busiest month for IPOs since November 2019, according to Bloomberg data. About half of those listings are technology firms, highlighting the sector’s growing weight in the market.

More Chinese AI stock companies are expected to list later this month, including startup MiniMax Group and Knowledge Atlas Technology, also known as Zhipu AI, which are set to debut next week.

Market watchers say the pace of listings will test whether the rally can sustain itself amid lingering concerns over China’s property slump and uneven economic recovery. For now, strong demand for AI exposure suggests investors are willing to bet on technology as a bright spot in the world’s second-largest economy.

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