StarFive Launches New Product, Achieving RISC-V’s Breakthrough in Large-Scale Data Center Commercialization

November 17, 2025, Hong Kong, China – StarFive today officially launched the "Lion Rock" chip, the first data center management chip based on the RISC-V architecture. As a milestone product, the "Lion Rock" chip has successfully achieved the first large-scale commercial implementation of RISC-V in the data center field, injecting new core momentum to the development of China's computing infrastructure.

The product launch has attracted significant attention, with over a hundred industry leaders gathering in Hong Kong to witness this key breakthrough. Attendees included Thomas Xu, Founder and CEO of StarFive; Dr Peter Lee Ka-kit, Founder of Full Vision Capital; Clara Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC); Liu Hongyun, Chairman and CEO of xFusion; He Jiawei, General Manager of Intel China's Data Center Group and AI Sales Division; Alan Chan, Managing Partner of Full Vision Capital; and Li Xin, Director and Executive Vice President of China Mobile Hong Kong Corporation Limited.

With Key Partners' Strong Support, RISC-V Achieves Breakthrough in Large-Scale Data Center Commercialization

StarFive and xFusion jointly held the delivery ceremony for the "Lion Rock" chip at the launch event, setting an exemplary model of collaboration between an original chip manufacturer and a system application provider. Taking this delivery as a new staring point, both parties will further advance the commercial expansion of the "Lion Rock" chip and deepen their multi-dimensional cooperation in the data center field.

The partnership between StarFive and xFusion traces its roots to March 2024, when the two parties entered into a strategic agreement to jointly advance the R&D and implementation of the "Lion Rock" chip. Throughout the collaboration, both parties have demonstrated highly efficient execution — it merely takes 16 months from the agreement sign-off to the successful power-on of the first chip, which lays a solid foundation for the product's rapid commercialization.

Liu Hongyun, Chairman and CEO of xFusion, stated at the event: "The computing power business is xFusion’s global core foundation, and building stable data center management chips is crucial. We chose the 'Lion Rock' chip because it is built based on the open RISC-V architecture; it is fully compliant with rigorous performance standards; and it has got strong support from the Hong Kong government and Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited. This chip will be widely applied in various scenarios such as AI servers, edge computing, and smart energy, contributing to building a more intelligent, green, and secure computing power infrastructure. In the future, xFusion will continue to work with partners to promote the development of the RISC-V ecosystem and embrace the era of intelligent agents."

In terms of technology integration and ecosystem co-construction, StarFive has received significant support from Intel, paving the way for the "Lion Rock" chip to enter the mainstream data center market. From chip specification definition to SoC system validation, the two parties have maintained close collaboration throughout the entire process, establishing an efficient technical cooperation model. To date, the "Lion Rock" chip has successfully completed platform management function validation within Intel's customer reference system (CRB), fully demonstrating its operational stability and the strong compatibility with Intel's processor platforms. This achievement provides critical assurance for subsequent large-scale deployment.

He Jiawei, General Manager of Intel China's Data Center Group and AI Sales Division, said: "We are optimistic about the market prospects of this new chip launched by StarFive and have full confidence in the remarkable achievements it has accomplished. Intel has always adhered to an open ecosystem philosophy. We will work closely with StarFive and other innovative partners to collectively push the computing boundaries and deliver more exceptional experiences to global users.

 Leveraging the collaborative ecosystem of industry partners, the market potential of the "Lion Rock" chip is rapidly being unleashed at an accelerated pace. Industry data indicates that the annual global shipment of data center management chips is approximately 16 million units, projected to grow to 30–40 million units by 2030. Faced with this rapidly expanding incremental market, the "Lion Rock" chip is expected to capture a substantial market share with its unique advantages.

Unlock Data Center Management Potential with RISC-V Core Technology

"If we compare a data center to a smart building, where GPUs and CPUs function as functional units, then the 'Lion Rock' chip serves as the property management hub — comprehensively overseeing system security, power scheduling, and operational maintenance to ensure the entire building operates efficiently and stably," expressed Thomas Xu, Chairman and CEO of StarFive, regarding the positioning of the "Lion Rock" chip.

As demand for computing power surges, the industry urgently requires data center solutions that are more cost-effective, energy-sustainable, and secure. Serving as the foundational pillar for large-scale computing clusters, data center management chips are now facing unprecedented growth opportunities. StarFive leverages this critical segment to fully exploit its RISC-V innovation capabilities.

At the core of its technology, the "Lion Rock" chip features StarFive's self-developed high-performance RISC-V CPU cores and the coherent Network-on-Chip (NoC) architecture, delivering exceptional performance and energy efficiency. Thomas Xu emphasized that the RISC-V core adheres to an open philosophy, enabling customers to expand functions and customize development according to their specific applications.

He further stressed that the “Lion Rock” chip has reached internationally competitive standards across key metrics, including specifications, functionality, performance, and power consumption, delivering comprehensive market competitiveness. Supported by StarFive’s localized hardware and software solutions, customers can swiftly optimize their products and achieve large-scale deployment.

Notably, the “Lion Rock” chip provides extensive peripheral interfaces to fully address diverse communication and control requirements in data centers. Its built-in security module effectively safeguards against cyber threats and data breaches, while the dedicated AI engine facilitates the transition of operational management toward intelligent and automated processes.

Looking ahead, Thomas Xu shared: “The ’Lion Rock’ chip is just the beginning. StarFive will continue to deepen its presence in data center infrastructure and expand into more markets including connectivity, storage, and network. Our next-generation products will further unlock data center potential and promote the full-scale adoption of RISC-V architecture in the AI era."

Carry Forward the “Lion Rock Spirit”: Shaping a New Paradigm for Hong Kong's Tech Rise

The “Lion Rock” chip is named after Hong Kong’s celebrated “Lion Rock Spirit” — relentless self-improvement and perseverance. The creation of this chip not only represents a technological breakthrough but also greatly benefits from Hong Kong’s open, cooperative, and inclusive innovation ecosystem.

Reflecting on its development journey, StarFive’s growth has been closely tied to Hong Kong’s capital support. Thomas Xu noted: “In 2019, Dr. Peter Lee Ka-kit became StarFive’s founding shareholder, driven by his profound insight into technology and firm belief in the chip industry. Earlier this year, strategic investment from HKICfurther injected new momentum into our growth, expanding our strategic footprint."

Dr Peter Lee Ka-kit, Founder of Full Vision Capital, said: "As global technological competition intensifies, chip technology has become a core focus. An AI-driven era, which will fundamentally transform how human society operates, is approaching. To maintain its leading position, Hong Kong must continue to develop high technology and encourage innovation. The successful development of the “Lion Rock” chip adds Hong Kong’s strength to this mission, and I am extremely proud!"

Dr Peter Lee Ka-kit, Founder of Full Vision Capital

Clara Chan, CEO of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited stated:"In March this year, the HKIC announced our investment in StarFive. Today, this investment already yielded tangible outcome. The ‘Lion Rock Chip’ not only represents a breakthrough in key technologies but also has gained market recognition as well as customer support and is moving towards mass production. As the world's first data center management chip developed based on RISC-V architecture, the ‘Lion Rock Chip' is a testament of the HKIC's investment direction, namely “having Hong Kong as home, our nation as foundation, and the world as vision,” and our firm determination to support our nation's technological self-reliance and self-strengthening." 

Previously, StarFive has achieved a series of remarkable milestones in Hong Kong: in application deployment, collaborating with China Mobile Hong Kong and Hong Kong and China Gas Company (Towngas) to promote the implementation of the "Towngas Chip" in Hong Kong; in ecosystem development, hosting the first Hong Kong RISC-V Development Summit and co-establishing the Joint Innovation Center for Digital Smart Future with xFusion; in talent cultivation, launching the Hong Kong RISC-V Talent Development Program and partnering with the Electrical Engineering Department at City University of Hong Kong to set up the RISC-V Ecosystem Joint Lab.

Looking ahead, StarFive will continue to embrace the “Lion Rock Spirit” as its core driving force and leverage RISC-V as its technological foundation, contributing to Hong Kong’s journey toward technological self-reliance. As Thomas Xu noted: "We will use the successful practice of the “Lion Rock” chip as a blueprint to expand the RISC-V ecosystem to more cities."