Chinese chipmaker Gpixel Changchun Microelectronics has made a strong stock market debut in Hong Kong, with its shares surging 144% since listing and turning founder and chairman Wang Xinyang into a billionaire.

The company, which develops CMOS image sensors used in robotics and industrial imaging, is headquartered in Changchun in northeastern China.

Wang, 46, is its largest shareholder with a 23% stake, while his wife Zhang Yanxia, also Gpixel’s chief operating officer, holds 1.6%.

Based on the latest closing price of HK$97.5, Wang’s net worth is estimated at around $1.3 billion.

Gpixel raised HK$2.6 billion ($332.4 million) through its initial public offering in Hong Kong, attracting major cornerstone investors including Hillhouse Investment, Boyu Capital, Source Code Capital and Value Partners.

The company said most of the IPO proceeds will be used for research and development, including a new R&D centre in Hangzhou, while the remainder will support expansion in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.

Gpixel specialises in CMOS image sensors, chips that convert light into electrical signals and are used in products ranging from smartphones and cameras to medical equipment and industrial robots.

The firm operates on a fabless model and focuses largely on industrial and scientific applications such as semiconductor inspection and machine vision systems.

According to data cited in its prospectus, Gpixel ranked as the world’s third-largest supplier of industrial image sensors in 2024, with a 15.2% market share behind Sony and Onsemi.

The company generates nearly 80% of its revenue from mainland China, with additional sales in Europe, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the United States.

For 2025, Gpixel reported a 49% rise in net profit to 293 million yuan ($43 million), while revenue increased 27% to 856.5 million yuan.

Growth was driven mainly by demand for industrial imaging sensors, which account for the bulk of its business.

Wang, who studied in China and Europe, founded the company in 2012 after working at CMOSIS in Belgium. His wife joined the firm in 2013 and later became COO in 2018.

The listing reflects a broader trend of mainland Chinese technology firms choosing Hong Kong for fundraising, particularly companies linked to robotics, semiconductors and advanced imaging systems.