Japan’s JS Foundry files for bankruptcy following power chip strategy setbacks

JS Foundry, a Japanese contract manufacturer focused on power semiconductors, filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court on July 14, reporting liabilities of JPY16.1 billion (approx. US$110 million). The company’s failure highlights increasing challenges faced by the global power semiconductor industry, where optimistic projections linked to electric vehicle (EV) demand have confronted difficult market conditions.

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China approves Synopsys-Ansys merger, but draws red lines on contracts

On the afternoon of July 14, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced its conditional approval of US-based Synopsys’ acquisition of Ansys shares. This deal is a significant merger in the global semiconductor and simulation software sectors, valued at approximately US$35 billion. It has attracted considerable industry attention since its announcement in early 2024.

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As physical AI matures, SOS Lab bets big on smarter, smaller LiDAR

With autonomous vehicles and service robots ushering in a new era of “physical AI,” the spotlight is once again on core sensing technologies. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has famously championed vision-based systems over LiDAR, South Korean startup SOS Lab believes laser-based sensing is poised for a comeback, thanks to breakthroughs in size, clarity, and safety.

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