What is Super Micro, the firm named in Singapore’s AI chips probe?

SINGAPORE – A new entity has been publicly identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs as part of a larger probe that began in February 2025 into potential false declarations over the purchase of servers.

Super Micro Computer, a US-based server supplier with known links to chipmaker Nvidia, has been called out by the Singapore authorities for providing “limited cooperation” with investigations.

Singapore has received limited information and assistance on Super Micro from American authorities, despite repeated requests to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation since September 2025, said MHA on Nov 12.

Super Micro Computer, which has an office in Singapore, had also been investigated by foreign governments over the smuggling of advanced AI technology across borders.

What does Super Micro do?

Founded in 1993 and based in the US, Super Micro builds and supplies high-performance servers that contain components such as Nvidia’s in-demand graphic processing units (GPUs).

Such servers and GPUs power large-scale data centres for the training of AI models, and the work done by AI applications such as chatbots.

Super Micro’s portfolio includes helping to build a cluster of supercomputers in a US-based data centre in 122 days, which powers Elon Musk’s xAI Grok chatbot. The cluster consists of over 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs.

Among the firm’s several offices across the globe, there is one in Singapore located at Metropolis Tower 1 in Buona Vista, according to the firm’s website.

The address stated is linked to a co-working space run by JustCo. On a visit there on Nov 13, The Straits Times found that Super Micro is one of several firms that occupy private office spaces on the third floor.

Super Micro’s office here is the size of a small classroom, with eight office chairs and several desks inside. Only one employee was present during ST’s visit – he was in the midst of a virtual meeting and declined to comment on the probe by authorities.

According to professional networking site LinkedIn, seven employees are in Super Micro’s Singapore team, including a South-east Asia lead, engineers, and a business development director.

What investigations have the firm and its associates been a part of?

The US DOJ is reportedly probing whether entities linked to Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based firm Megaspeed and alleged Chinese spy, were involved in attempts to smuggle Super Micro products to China.

Huang, who has made headlines for her affair with former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, was also probed by Singapore authorities over inaccurate server purchase declarations and other related matters.

She has been issued a stern warning and barred from re-entering Singapore since February.

ST has contacted Super Micro for comment. In a statement to a foreign news outlet on Nov 13, the company said that it has been responsive to inquiries and has fully cooperated with US and Taiwanese officials.

It added that it has voluntarily provided information and engaged with all requests from Singapore authorities to date. Super Micro also denied that Megaspeed has ever been a customer of the firm.

“Super Micro maintains a robust compliance programme and continues to work closely with authorities and industry partners to combat diversion and help protect American innovation,” said the firm.

This is not the first instance of Super Micro’s reported link to chip smuggling cases.

In March, Super Micro co-founder Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw and two other men were charged in the US with conspiring to divert about US$2.5 billion (S$3.22 billion) of advanced AI tech to China, in violation of American export laws.

The company itself was not named as a defendant in the indictment. The three men had allegedly fabricated documents, staged fake equipment to pass inventory audits, and used an unnamed South-east Asian pass-through company to cover up misconduct.

Liaw has pleaded not guilty, while former Super Micro contractor Ting-Wei “Willy” Sun pleaded guilty to four counts, including conspiracies to violate US export controls, smuggle goods from the US, defraud the country and obstruct justice.

According to the indictment, the three men’s scheme began in around October 2023. Sun and the others allegedly conspired to export servers from a US manufacturer, widely believed to be Super Micro, to China without the required licences.

In August, nine people including Nvidia and Super Micro employees were indicted in Taiwan, over their involvement in illegal export of AI servers to China.

Taiwan is the world’s largest producer of advanced chips used to power AI applications.

Two Super Micro employees were charged with breach of trust and document forgery, as part of the case. The scheme allegedly involved 130 B300 servers ordered from Super Micro, which were supposed to be installed and used in a Taiwan-based server facility.

More than half of the servers were instead exported to Chinese customers, through direct shipments to China and transshipments through Indonesia, Japan, and Hong Kong.