TECH

Chinese Chipmaker YMTC Claims 13% of $46 Billion Global NAND Market

Published: Jun. 4, 2026 12:44 a.m. GMT+8

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Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. in Wuhan, Hubei province, on May 20, 2026. Photo: VCG

Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) has surged to tie for fourth place in the global NAND flash memory market, riding an AI-driven boom that sent its first-quarter revenue soaring nearly 445%.

The rapid ascent underscores how China’s semiconductor sector is capitalizing on a severe global memory shortage — fueled by massive investments in AI data centers — to capture market share from sold-out industry leaders.

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What Happened When

Late 2025：: A multi-trillion-dollar buildout of North American data centers triggered a severe supply squeeze in the NAND industry, initiating a supercycle.

By the end of 2025：: ChangXin Memory Technologies grew its global market share to 7.67%, becoming the world’s fourth-largest player in its segment.

First quarter of 2026：: Global NAND flash revenue hit $46 billion, jumping about 250% year-on-year and nearly doubling from the previous quarter; enterprise SSDs accounted for 43% of the total NAND market.

First quarter of 2026：: YMTC's quarterly revenue surged nearly 445% year-on-year, and it tied for fourth place globally with a 13% market share (up from 8% a year ago).

2026 (ongoing)：: AI infrastructure deployment, particularly the shift toward 'agentic AI,' remained the core growth engine for NAND demand.

May 19, 2026：: The China Securities Regulatory Commission disclosed that its Hubei bureau accepted YMTC's IPO tutoring registration, with CITIC Securities and China Securities acting as advisors.

AI generated, for reference only