Abstract:
DeepSeek plans to lead the first round of financing for a months-old startup dedicated to developing robotic AI, using more than $12 billion of its own financing to bet on one of the fastest-growing areas of the technology industry.
According to people familiar with the matter, the Hangzhou-based AI research institution has agreed to lead Winverse AI’s tens of millions of dollars in seed round financing. The startup, which has yet to make a public debut, was founded by a former top scientist from Tencent Holdings and has also received investment commitments from other investors including Long-Z Investments, a subsidiary of Meituan, with a post-money valuation of about $400 million, people familiar with the matter said.
The deal has not yet been finalized and details such as valuation and investor participation could still change, people familiar with the matter said.
If the deal is completed, it will be one of DeepSeek's largest investments in a start-up since hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng founded the company in 2023 and propelled it to the forefront of the industry two years later. The deal will help the Chinese AI leader further expand its presence in real-world applications, such as humanoid robots for use on factory floors.
According to previous reports, DeepSeek’s latest round of financing is close to raising at least 80 billion yuan ($12 billion), far exceeding its original financing target, in preparation for its listing in early 2027. This funding was originally planned to be mainly used for model training and data center construction, but it may also allow the AI research institution to start investing in a new generation of start-ups and carry out joint development with them.
Winverse was founded by Hu Han in 2026. Hu Han previously served as chief scientist at Tencent and was responsible for the visual language and embodied basic model teams before leaving. According to his GitHub page, he holds a PhD from Tsinghua University and his professional experience includes Microsoft Research Asia and Baidu.
Hu Han did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Representatives from DeepSeek and Long-Z also did not respond to email inquiries.
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