Leading the localization of thermoelectric semiconductor technology, "Zhongke Bose" completed tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A round financing | 36Kr exclusive.

Recently, "Zhongke Bosheng", a Chinese high-end thermoelectric semiconductor technology innovation enterprise, announced the completion of a Pre-A round of financing of tens of millions of yuan. This round of financing is led by CASSTAR, with Jiangyin Talent Science and Technology Angel Fund, Sukong Venture Capital, and Oriza Holdings following the investment.

The funds raised will be used to expand production capacity, promote research and development, and strengthen team building, accelerating the technological breakthrough and localization process of "Zhongke Bosheng" in the high-end thermoelectric semiconductor field.

In terms of material preparation, "Zhongke Bosheng" focuses on improving the zT value of thermoelectric materials, which is a key indicator to measure the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of materials.

Schematic diagram of TEC refrigeration chip structure

Through continuous optimization of the performance of P-type and N-type materials, the company has achieved a technological breakthrough where the zT value of P-type materials reaches 1.3, and the zT value of N-type materials reaches 1. This performance is close to the international advanced level.

These high-performance thermoelectric materials provide a basis for the miniaturization and high efficiency of the next-generation devices, enabling the company to compete with international giants in the high-end market.

Not only that, "Zhongke Bosheng" has also made significant progress in flexible thermoelectric materials. Most traditional thermoelectric materials are hard materials, which are difficult to adapt to application scenarios that have high requirements for flexibility, ductility, and bending resistance, such as wearable devices.

Micro-TEC prepared in the laboratory

For this reason, "Zhongke Bosheng" has developed a flexible thermoelectric material with a zT value of up to 0.6 at room temperature. Its excellent ductility and bending resistance make it have a good application prospect.

The company has developed an ultra-thin inorganic flexible thermoelectric device with a thickness of only 0.3 mm based on this material, which is suitable for flexible wearable devices and meets the needs of consumers in health monitoring, smart wear, and other aspects.

Surface-type inorganic flexible thermoelectric device

The key market of "Zhongke Bosheng" is automotive-grade applications, specifically including temperature control devices such as temperature-controlled seats and vehicle refrigerators. With the popularity of new energy vehicles, the demand for automotive-grade thermal management has increased significantly, and "Zhongke Bosheng" has become the only enterprise in China with the ability to develop temperature-adjustable seats, relying on a complete technology chain and precise temperature control capabilities.

On-board application module of TEC

"Zhongke Bosheng" has currently entered the supply chain of many mainstream auto companies such as Geely, Leapmotor, Chery, Hongqi, and GAC. At the same time, the company is also actively expanding applications in the fields of optical communications and medical devices, showing significant growth potential in these industries with high demands for efficient temperature control.

The leading investor of this round of financing, CASSTAR, said, "In high-integration industries such as new energy vehicles, medical care, and communications, precise temperature control and efficient thermal management systems have become key challenges. With the technological accumulation of the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and its leading industrialization capabilities, 'Zhongke Bosheng' is expected to achieve domestic substitution of thermoelectric semiconductor materials and high-end products, bringing new impetus to the industry's development."

Thermoelectric semiconductor technology is an advanced technology that can convert thermal energy into electrical energy or use electrical energy in reverse to achieve precise temperature control.

Thermoelectric materials are increasingly widely and importantly applied in multiple industries due to their efficient temperature control capabilities. From consumer electronics to new energy equipment, the precise demand for temperature control is driving the market's continuous exploration of innovative technologies.

For example, in the context of the rapid growth of global data traffic, the heat dissipation problem of data center servers has become increasingly prominent, and a more efficient and environmentally friendly heat dissipation solution is urgently needed.

Currently, the heat dissipation technology field mainly includes four categories: air cooling, liquid cooling, passive heat dissipation materials and thermoelectric semiconductor technology.

Air cooling technology has high noise and large volume, and is suitable for cost-sensitive occasions; liquid cooling technology has high cost and a risk of leakage, but is suitable for high-performance computing; passive heat dissipation materials such as graphene/thermal conductive silica gel are suitable for small-scale and low-power applications, but cannot achieve precise temperature control.

Traditional thermal management solutions usually rely on larger mechanical devices, which have the disadvantages of large volume, high energy consumption, and high noise, and cannot meet the needs of new miniaturized and highly integrated devices.

And thermoelectric semiconductor technology, with the characteristics of environmental protection, high efficiency, and precise temperature control, has gradually become an ideal solution for active temperature control of miniaturized devices.

According to industry data, the global thermoelectric semiconductor market size has exceeded 10 billion yuan, and it has broad application prospects in the fields of automobiles, medical care, and optical communications.

For example, in scenarios such as temperature-controlled seats for electric vehicles, vehicle refrigerators, low-temperature incubators and PCR amplifiers for medical equipment, and micro-thermoelectric devices for optical communications, thermoelectric semiconductor technology can significantly improve the heat dissipation and temperature control effects of the equipment, meeting the needs of efficient thermal management.

TEC vehicle refrigerator

However, the global high-end thermoelectric semiconductor market has long been dominated by American and Japanese enterprises. The core technical links of thermoelectric semiconductor manufacturing include material preparation, device technology, and module integration. These three links constitute the main part of the technical barrier. Foreign companies such as Ferrotec, Ikomatsu Company, Laird Technologies, and Phononic have leading technical advantages, while domestic enterprises are still mainly in the mid-to-low-end market.

In the face of the global high-end thermoelectric semiconductor market's technological monopoly, "Zhongke Bosheng" has achieved significant technological breakthroughs with its deep technological accumulation. Relying on the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics with strong scientific research strength, the team has published more than 600 academic papers and has more than 130 authorized patents. The R & D team is led by Academician Chen Lidong, including Chief Technology Expert Shi Xun and many recipients of the National Outstanding Youth Fund, and is a pioneer in the field of thermoelectric materials and devices in China.

"Zhongke Bosheng" has the full-chain capability from R & D to production and is in a leading position in the field of thermoelectric semiconductor technology. The company is currently committed to applying high-end thermoelectric semiconductor elements (TEC) to high-end scenarios such as automobiles, industry, and medical care.

With the growth of the demand for thermoelectric semiconductor products in various industries, it is expected that in the future, thermoelectric semiconductor technology will play its role in a wider range of application scenarios. The development and application of this technology are expected to improve energy efficiency and promote environmental protection.