Wuxi Autowell Technology, also known under the brand ATW, has been one of the quiet success stories of China’s PV equipment industry, rapidly evolving from a specialist in module assembly equipment into a full value-chain solutions provider. In this interview at ATW’s booth at the recent SNEC Smart Energy Expo in Shanghai, Paulo Rocha, Deputy International Sales Director at ATW, explains how the company scaled from around $100 million in revenue in 2019 to around $1.2 billion today, why overseas markets now account for nearly a third of its business, and how its “AI Chef” concept could reshape upstream manufacturing far beyond China’s borders.
pv magazine: ATW has achieved significant growth since 2019. What enabled this trajectory?
Rocha: I’d highlight mentality first – a hard-work culture combined with an entrepreneurial mindset. Our CEO has been very effective in transmitting that to the entire organization: R&D, sales, and operations. There’s a strong push not to be satisfied with the status quo and to strive for more. Back in 2014, we were primarily a module-equipment company, especially in stringers. We had a passionate, focused team and built a strong position there. From that foundation, we diversified: from module tools into cell, ingot and wafer equipment, and also lithium battery and semiconductor equipment. The combination of a driven organization and a highly skilled R&D team allowed us to replicate the success we had with module equipment across the rest of the value chain. Once you can do that in multiple segments, the growth becomes close to exponential.
