TSMC, Sony to invest $4.7 billion in joint venture for image sensors

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC and Sony Group said on Tuesday they will form a $4.69 billion joint venture to develop and make next-generation image sensors in southern Japan, with volume production expected to start in ‌2029.

Sony will ⁠be ⁠the controlling shareholder and invest 465 billion yen ($2.92 billion) through a combination of cash and asset transfers, including its newly constructed chip factory in Kumamoto prefecture, while TSMC will invest 282 billion yen, the companies said in a joint statement.

The venture, Advanced Vision Semiconductor ⁠Manufacturing Corp, ‌will be based in Kumamoto, where TSMC operates its Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) chip plant.