Hanmi Embraces SpaceX's AI Future
Hanmi Semiconductor Invests $33 Million in SpaceX, Linking to Musk's Terafab AI Vision
South Korea’s Mirae Asset Financial Group is preparing a plan to make more than $1 billion of SpaceX IPO shares available to Korean investors before trading begins, a first for the country’s capital markets. Separately, Hanmi Semiconductor said it will buy 50 billion won (about $33 million) of SpaceX shares on the open market, representing roughly 7.24% of its equity, with the purchase scheduled for June 16. Hanmi framed the move as exposure to SpaceX and Elon Musk’s Terafab plan, which it links to rising demand across AI chips, satellite communications, and aerospace. The company pointed to a longer-term supply chain concept in which most Terafab-produced chips would support SpaceX data centers and vehicles, reinforcing expectations for future growth. In markets ahead of SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut, Hanmi’s stock jumped more than 20% after the announcement, reflecting investor optimism despite valuation concerns tied to the IPO pricing. SpaceX’s offering is reported around $135 per share and valuing the company at roughly $1.8 trillion, underscoring the scale of the launch pulling in Korean institutional and corporate investors.
Key Points
Hanmi said Terafab is expected to begin operations in 2028, with about 80% of chips produced there destined for SpaceX data centers and the remainder “topped on vehicles of Tesla as well as its Optimus robots.”
Elon Musk plans to address AI-chip shortages for SpaceX, Tesla and xAI by investing $119 billion to build an “ultra-large-scale Terafab” in Austin, Texas, starting in 2028.
Ahead of SpaceX’s listing, one report said the IPO’s offering size is projected at $75 billion—surpassing Saudi Aramco’s prior record of $29.4 billion.
LS Securities researcher Lee Jae-gwang said SpaceX has a “near-monopoly position” in the infrastructure layer across AI, connectivity and space, adding that vertical integration from Terafab to models (Grok) to applications (Cursor) “could significantly improve profitability in the long term.”
Hanmi also cited background relationship dynamics: the report notes a long-standing connection between Hanmi Chairman Dongshin Kwak and Peter Thiel (Crescendo Equity Partners), including Thiel-linked early investment in Hanmi and later shared investments tied to semiconductor-equipment firm HPSP.
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