Can ZM Semicon Become the ‘Texas Instruments of China’? 🚀 Exclusive Interview with Tang Shiping
Tang Shiping may not yet be a household name in the global tech scene, but his journey embodies the grit and vision of a true technologist. From excelling as a top student at Tsinghua University, to advancing cutting-edge projects at Huawei, to co-founding ZM Semicon, Tang has consistently transformed expertise into impact. Today, he is pioneering the “K-Plan” — a bold initiative for knowledge co-creation, shared opportunities, and win-win growth.
Recently, the Slkor Micro Semicon editorial team sat down with Tang at his office, where he shared his candid insights on technology, entrepreneurship, and the philosophy that drives his work.
Mr. Tang Shiping brings 27 years of deep expertise in the hardware and semiconductor industry. After graduating, he moved from Changsha to Shenzhen in 2001 and joined Huawei as a junior hardware engineer. Over 13 years at Huawei, he rose through multiple leadership roles — Hardware Engineer, Device Expert, Hardware Manager, Cost Manager, DFX Department Manager, and System Architect. He played a key role in several flagship product projects and helped plan HiSilicon’s SD8602/8603/8802/8803 chip series, gaining not only technical mastery but also first-hand insight into the challenges of the semiconductor industry.
After Huawei, Tang transitioned into entrepreneurship and industry leadership. He spearheaded the development of PLC power line carrier communication chips and modules, successfully applied in smart lighting and EV charging solutions. Later, at Tianhexing and HaoPeng Technology, he led chip application solutions for more than 10 industries, including BMS, power supplies, and motors, while shaping strategic roadmaps for BMIC and PMIC product lines. These milestones laid the groundwork for his evolution into a visionary product manager and industry leader.
In 2024, Tang Shiping became Co-founder and Product Director of ZM Semicon, taking charge of product strategy, definition, and market expansion. Not yet 50, he sets a personal goal of “living healthily to 120,” balancing passion for life with dedication to work. To achieve this, he divides his journey into three guiding frameworks: the A-Plan, K-Plan, and i-Plan—a structured philosophy that drives both personal well-being and professional impact.
A-Plan: The Roadmap of ZM Semicon
At the core of his mission lies the A-Plan. As co-founder, Tang has been deeply involved in shaping the company’s foundation and growth. ZM Semicon is dedicated to the design and R&D of analog and mixed-signal ICs, with a strong focus on Battery Management ICs (BMICs) and Power Management ICs (PMICs)—including Analog Front Ends (AFE), fuel gauges, lithium battery protection, and charging chips.
These solutions span automotive, industrial, and consumer-grade applications, powering innovations in new energy vehicles, humanoid robotics, energy storage, smart devices, low-altitude eVTOL aircraft, and industrial automation. By blending deep technical expertise with forward-looking vision, Tang Shiping is steering ZM Semicon to become a key player in next-generation semiconductor solutions.
ZM Semicon’s technical leadership is built on world-class expertise. The team includes a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University with extensive overseas experience, as well as senior R&D professionals from leading semiconductor companies. Chairman Dr. Sun Bo brings over a decade of specialization in Battery Management ICs (BMICs), giving ZM Semicon a strong competitive edge in this critical field.
The company has already launched multiple high-performance chips that have earned market recognition. As Product Director Tang Shiping highlights:
“We’ve achieved breakthroughs in key performance areas—sampling accuracy, voltage tolerance, and high-voltage drive capability. In particular, our high-side drive technology has reached a domestically leading level.”
Guiding ZM Semicon’s market philosophy, Tang summarizes the approach as “Standardized Chips, Platform-Based Promotion.” By designing chips with a standardized architecture, ZM Semicon ensures broad adaptability across customer applications. At the same time, its platform-driven promotion strategy fosters deep collaboration with clients, delivering tailored solutions that enhance competitiveness and create greater value.
When discussing Zhongmin’s future roadmap, Tang Shiping outlined a clear three-stage strategy:
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Short term – strengthen its position in the consumer and industrial sectors.
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Mid term – develop automotive-grade technologies and achieve key breakthroughs.
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Long term – expand beyond BMICs into the PMIC field, aiming to build a comprehensive analog and mixed-signal portfolio.
“Our vision is bold but simple,” Tang explains. “We want to become China’s Texas Instruments. It’s a challenging journey, but one we are committed to pursuing together.”
K-Plan: Knowledge as a Mission
If the A-Plan reflects Tang’s drive in business, then the K-Plan represents his deeper mission—knowledge sharing. Inspired by his time at Huawei, where he saw the power of collective learning, Tang recognized a critical gap: many SMEs in the semiconductor and new energy fields lacked structured knowledge systems. As a result, new employees developed slowly, and the cost of industry trial-and-error remained high.
The K-Plan was born from this realization: to create a knowledge-sharing platform that accelerates growth, lowers barriers, and supports the entire new energy lithium battery ecosystem.
Launched in 2024, the K-Plan represents Tang Shiping’s vision of turning practical industry experience into shareable intellectual wealth. The knowledge system is structured into five dimensions—raw materials, key technology modules, PACK & application products, system integration, and the IPD (Integrated Product Development) process—providing a comprehensive framework for professionals across the lithium battery and semiconductor industries.
To expand its impact, Tang promotes the K-Plan through live-stream sessions, online publications, and hands-on training events, covering topics such as BMS technology, device expertise, and application know-how. Leading companies, including Kinghelm and Slkor Micro, have invited Tang and co-initiator He Hongxing to deliver training workshops. Participants consistently highlight the practical value and transformative insights gained, reinforcing the importance of collective knowledge sharing for industry growth.
When discussing the future of the K-Plan, Tang Shiping shared:
"The K-Plan is my passion. My personal goal is to build a knowledge system and nurture talent across the industry, fostering a culture of co-creation and sharing. On a broader level, I aim to create business opportunities and achieve win-win outcomes through this technology-driven platform. Even if the journey is tough, I believe the K-Plan delivers lasting value—to society, to enterprises, and to young engineers just entering the field. That’s why, even without support, I will persist for five years.”
Beyond business, Tang emphasizes health and balance through what he calls the i-Plan. He believes that “without health, everything else is meaningless.” To maintain well-being, he practices Ba Duan Jin (Eight-Section Brocade) daily and leads a weekly hiking group along the scenic Phoenix Mountain–Nan’ao route. Even in the office, he encourages young colleagues to join him in light exercises—blending wellness with teamwork and vitality.
Tang Shiping practicing Ba Duan Jin in his office daily
In his free time, Tang Shiping finds inspiration in reading—especially science fiction. “We live in an age of fast reading. For example, I finished the entire Three-Body Problem trilogy in just two months,” he shared with a smile. Known for his candid, straightforward style, Tang combines honesty with a deep reflection on life and technology.
Speaking with Tang feels like hearing a seasoned pioneer recount a journey of resilience and vision. His story reminds us that technology’s true power lies not only in innovation, but also in sharing knowledge; and that passion can transform even the coldest circuits into something that fuels human dreams.
From the A-Plan’s technological drive, to the K-Plan’s knowledge-sharing mission, to the i-Plan’s focus on balance and well-being, Tang embodies the spirit of “love what you do, and keep learning for life.” Today, he continues to push forward innovation and collaboration in China’s semiconductor industry. We eagerly anticipate the official launch of the K-Plan platform, ZM Semicon’s rise as the “Eastern Texas Instruments,” and more visionaries like Tang lighting the path toward the future.
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