Shenzhen-based on-device AI hardware startup Violoop has secured hundreds of millions of yuan in a new funding round, with Legend Capital, BlueRun Ventures, and CICC Porsche participating. This is Legend Capital's first investment in the personal on-device Agent hardware category.
TL;DR
- Violoop raises hundreds of millions of yuan in funding, with Legend Capital leading the round.
- The company has completed five funding rounds in six months, with the latest round focused on product mass production, overseas market expansion, and proprietary model training.
- Violoop's next-generation V4 device is priced at $699 and features a 'prompt-killing' interaction logic that allows users to receive actionable suggestions without entering any prompts.
What happened
Violoop, a Shenzhen-based on-device AI hardware startup, has completed a new funding round worth hundreds of millions of yuan. The round was led by Legend Capital, with participation from BlueRun Ventures, CICC Porsche, and all existing investors. This marks Legend Capital's first investment in the personal on-device Agent hardware category.
Since January, Violoop has completed five funding rounds within six months. The first two rounds totaled tens of millions of yuan, while the latter three cumulatively reached hundreds of millions of yuan. The funds raised will be used for product mass production, overseas market expansion, and continued training of proprietary models.
Violoop's next-generation V4 device is priced at $699 for an overseas crowdfunding launch. The device has already accumulated approximately 12,000 overseas pre-paid users. The V4 device features a 'prompt-killing' interaction logic that continuously observes the screen and builds long-term memory locally, allowing users to receive actionable suggestions without entering any prompts.
Why it matters
Violoop's funding round and product development highlight the growing interest and investment in on-device AI hardware. The company's focus on privacy, speed, and global coverage positions it as a potential leader in the personal on-device Agent hardware category.
The 'prompt-killing' interaction logic of the V4 device represents a significant shift in AI interaction, potentially making AI more accessible and user-friendly. This could have implications for developers and startups looking to integrate AI into their products.
Violoop's ambition to evolve from a hardware company to an on-device model company and ultimately an AI infrastructure company indicates a broader trend in the AI industry towards integration and convergence of hardware and software.
Key facts
- Violoop has raised hundreds of millions of yuan in a new funding round, with Legend Capital leading the round.
- The company has completed five funding rounds in six months, with the latest round focused on product mass production, overseas market expansion, and proprietary model training.
- Violoop's next-generation V4 device is priced at $699 and features a 'prompt-killing' interaction logic.
- The V4 device has already accumulated approximately 12,000 overseas pre-paid users.
- Violoop's founder, He Jialin, emphasized the company's focus on privacy, speed, and global coverage.
- The company aims to evolve from a hardware company to an on-device model company and ultimately an AI infrastructure company.
- Violoop's software subscription gross margin is currently around 30%, with expectations of reaching 70% in the future as proprietary models take on a higher proportion of tasks.
Context
The AI industry in 2026 faces a common anxiety: models are getting bigger and more expensive, yet increasingly distant from users. A landmark moment occurred in June when Figure AI founder Brett Adcock launched a new company called Hark, focused on 'proactive on-device personal AI hardware,' valued at $6 billion at inception. In China, Violoop started even earlier.
Violoop's focus on computer use and Harness self-evolution in February and March aligns with the industry's growing interest in on-device AI hardware. The company's 'embodied intelligence' analogy highlights the potential for personalized models and personal AI hardware to become trillion-dollar companies.
Violoop's answer to the industry debate over whether Agents require a hardware carrier boils down to three words: privacy, speed, and global coverage. The company's solution is to keep all observation and memory capabilities entirely local, on a piece of hardware that always stays with the user.
