DeepSeek is set to lead a $400 million funding round for Winverse AI, a Chinese startup focused on robotics, according to Bloomberg. This move underscores DeepSeek's expanding interest in physical AI beyond chatbots.
TL;DR
- DeepSeek to lead $400M seed round for Winverse AI, valuing the startup at $400M.
- Investment highlights DeepSeek's push into robotics and physical AI.
- Winverse's technology focus remains undisclosed, but it could accelerate embodied intelligence.
What happened
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, has agreed to lead a seed investment round for Winverse AI, a startup developing technology for robots. The round is expected to raise tens of millions of dollars and value Winverse at approximately $400 million, according to Bloomberg. Other investors, including Meituan's Long-Z Investments, have also committed to the round, though the deal has not been finalized and details could change.
Winverse was founded in 2026 by Hu Han, a former Tencent scientist who led the company's vision-language and embodied AI foundation model teams. Hu previously worked at Microsoft Research Asia and Baidu. The startup is currently operating in stealth mode, with no detailed product plans or technical architecture publicly disclosed.
Why it matters
This investment marks DeepSeek's broader push into robotics and physical AI, extending beyond its existing relationship with Unitree Robotics. DeepSeek acquired a roughly 2% stake in Unitree, a humanoid robot maker, ahead of its Shanghai listing in August and plans to collaborate on embodied-intelligence models. The move comes as DeepSeek approaches a financing round of at least 80 billion yuan ($12 billion) to fund AI model training and data centers, with potential support for startups working on complementary technologies.
For manufacturers, more capable robot AI could eventually make automation useful for tasks that remain difficult to program, particularly work that requires interpreting instructions or responding to changing conditions. However, Winverse's precise technology remains unclear, making it too early to determine how its technology might be used commercially. For DeepSeek, backing a specialized startup could provide access to expertise and new development opportunities without building every robotics capability internally.
Key facts
- DeepSeek to lead $400M seed investment round for Winverse AI.
- Winverse valued at approximately $400 million post-investment.
- Meituan's Long-Z Investments among other investors in the round.
- Winverse founded in 2026 by Hu Han, former Tencent scientist.
- DeepSeek acquired 2% stake in Unitree Robotics in August.
- DeepSeek approaching a financing round of at least 80 billion yuan ($12 billion).
- Winverse operating in stealth mode with no public product details.
- China has a strong position in humanoid robot manufacturing but requires advanced AI for capable machines.
Context
China has established a strong position in humanoid robot manufacturing, but building capable machines requires more than advanced hardware. Robots must interpret instructions, understand their surroundings, and execute tasks reliably in changing physical environments. This challenge has also attracted major investment in the United States, with companies like Skild AI and Physical Intelligence reaching reported valuations of $14 billion and $5.6 billion, respectively.
DeepSeek's investment in Winverse aligns with a broader industry trend of integrating AI models with physical-world applications. This move could give DeepSeek access to expertise and new development opportunities, potentially accelerating the development of embodied intelligence and other robotics capabilities.
