On September 17, 2021, my country's first aerospace-grade storage controller chip, Bifort, was officially released at the Shenzhen Optoelectronics Expo. Designed and independently developed in collaboration with Xi'an EXA Tech and the Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Research Institute, the chip adopts an aerospace-grade SSD storage controller chip framework structure. It boasts advantages such as multiple interfaces, radiation resistance, and high reliability, making it suitable for high-reliability, high-capacity data storage applications in space missions. It provides solutions for intelligent information systems in spacecraft, striving to build space data centers.
The press conference was hosted by EXA Tech. Representatives from Shenzhen Capital Group (SCGC), including Lv Yu, Chief Satellite Designer of Changguang Satellite (Changguang Satellite), Cang Jirong, Co-founder of StarTest Future (StarTest Future), and Liu Xi, Deputy Chief Engineer of Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Research Institute (Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Research Institute), attended and shared their insights. Representatives from companies such as Shenzhen Dongfanghong, Biwin Storage, and DeYi Micro Storage also attended as guests. At the conference, EXA Tech announced a strategic partnership with StarTest Future and the establishment of a joint R&D center for advanced storage and packaging technologies with Xi'an Microelectronics Technology Research Institute (Institute 771).
EXA Tech: Committed to becoming a provider of space information infrastructure
In recent years, as global competition for space orbital resources has intensified, China has accelerated the deployment of its remote sensing and internet constellations. The surge in the number of satellites in orbit has also increased my country's demand for mass production and intelligent construction of satellites, making the real-time, effectiveness, and security of space data, especially remote sensing data, particularly urgent.
Wang Wei, co-founder and COO of EXA Tech, believes that data is the carrier of human civilization. As humanity gradually enters the era of space exploration, the ability to store, manage, and process data in the space environment is becoming increasingly important. EXA Tech, with its core technology of high-capacity satellite storage systems, provides intelligent information system solutions for spacecraft operating in the space environment, builds space data centers, and strives to become China's most important provider of space information infrastructure in the future.
China's first aerospace-grade memory controller chip officially released.
Liu Di, co-founder and CPO of EXA Tech, announced the official release of Bifort, my country's first high-reliability, radiation-resistant SSD controller chip for aerospace applications. This chip adopts an aerospace-grade SSD storage controller chip framework, including both PCIe Gen2x4 and SATA3 host interfaces, and is equipped with six independent NAND Flash control channels at the back end. It boasts advantages such as multiple interfaces, radiation resistance, and high reliability, and supports three specifications: ceramic-encapsulated Class B, military-grade plastic-encapsulated Class N1, and general industrial grade. It is suitable for high-reliability, high-capacity data storage applications in aerospace missions.
Meanwhile, Mizuta, General Manager of EXA Tech's Solutions Division, introduced solutions to performance issues related to on-board storage, on-board computing, and data transmission for Intelligent Payload (IPL), as well as pathways for inter-enterprise cooperation. Mizuta stated that "IPL integrates data acquisition, storage, data management, on-orbit computing, and space-to-ground transmission, enabling it to interface with both traditional main sensor data and satellite platform data, ensuring compliance with on-orbit verification and debugging requirements. Currently, it has been adapted to multiple satellite system design units, meeting the intelligent needs of satellites."
Industrial cooperation helps the development of China's commercial space industry
At this press conference, StarTest and EXA Tech signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two companies announced they will jointly develop an integrated solution for high-performance computing and large-capacity storage at the satellite edge. This solution will provide upstream satellite manufacturers with on-orbit data compression and intelligent constellation operation efficiency optimization services, while downstream government and enterprise clients will receive real-time on-board services tailored to national defense, emergency response, and financial applications. Regarding this collaboration, Cang Jirong, co-founder of StarTest, expressed his hope that the strategic partnership with EXA Tech will further optimize technology and product services, comprehensively enhance the intelligence level of my country's satellite industry, and facilitate the upgrading of satellite application services.
At the meeting, the "Joint R&D Center for Advanced Storage and Packaging Technology," jointly established by the Xi'an Institute of Microelectronics Technology (Institute 771) and EXA Tech, was officially inaugurated. The two parties will further collaborate on technology research and development and industrial cooperation to support the development of the aerospace electronics industry. Meanwhile, Liu Xi, Deputy Chief Engineer and Researcher of Institute 771, He Xiaojun, Chief Designer of Changguang Satellite, and Lü Yu, representative of Shenzhen Capital Group, delivered excellent speeches on the theme of commercial aerospace. Attendees expressed that EXA Tech, as a high-quality enterprise in the commercial aerospace field, possesses enormous development potential, and that they will continue to deepen and expand their cooperation with EXA Tech in this area.
Finally, Wang Wei stated that the official release of the Bifort chip signifies a significant step forward for EXA Tech in the commercial aerospace field, and he looks forward to exchanging ideas and collaborating with industry peers and institutions. EXA Tech will also launch a new round of financing, aiming to dilute 10% of its shares and raise 40 million yuan to strengthen its capabilities in the IPL (Integrated Productivity) field. Over the next decade, EXA Tech will dedicate itself to building a space data center, contributing to my country's space information infrastructure development.
Aikosa Technology:
Founded in 2018, EXA Tech focuses on high-capacity satellite storage system technology and provides intelligent information system solutions for spacecraft operating in the space environment. It is one of the important providers of future space information infrastructure.
The company empowers satellite manufacturing through data center-level storage array technology and chip-based capabilities, providing intelligent satellite payload solutions that meet the satellite's space information processing needs for on-orbit data storage, computation, and transmission. Its products boast world-leading performance and are widely recognized and used by national satellite design institutes and commercial satellite companies.
In January 2020, the "Jilin-1" wide-field 01 satellite, equipped with the EXA Tech onboard storage system (AS3), was successfully launched, marking EXA Tech as the first commercial storage company in China to complete on-orbit verification. As of July 2021, eight AS3 products were in orbit, accumulating rich experience in aerospace engineering.
EXA Tech completed a Pre-A round of financing worth tens of millions of yuan in August 2021, led by Shenzhen Capital Group and followed by Qiji Venture Capital. It is reported that the financing will be used for the iteration of aerospace storage control chips and the construction of storage media screening capabilities.
