DeepSeek Backs Ex-Tencent Scientist's Winverse AI in $400M Seed Deal
The Hangzhou AI lab is expanding into physical intelligence by backing former Tencent scientist Hu Han's robotics startup at a $400 million valuation.
In short
- DeepSeek has agreed to lead a tens-of-millions-of-dollars seed round for Winverse AI, valuing the startup at about $400 million post-money.
- Winverse AI was founded in 2026 by Hu Han, former head of Tencent's vision-language and embodied foundation model teams.
- Meituan's investment arm, Long-Z Investments, has also committed to the financing, though terms remain subject to change.
- The deal deepens DeepSeek's push into physical hardware following its earlier equity investment in Unitree Robotics.
Hangzhou-based artificial intelligence lab DeepSeek has agreed to lead a multi-million-dollar seed funding round for Winverse AI, an early-stage startup developing artificial intelligence for robotic systems, according to reporting by Bloomberg via TNW. The seed financing round values the startup at roughly $400 million post-money and marks one of DeepSeek's largest startup investments to date. The transaction represents an aggressive expansion by the model maker beyond purely digital software and into the sector of embodied intelligence.
Winverse AI was founded earlier in 2026 by Hu Han, an AI researcher who previously served as a lead scientist overseeing Tencent Holdings' vision-language and embodied foundation model teams. Hu left Tencent during an internal reorganization of the tech giant's AI research divisions, according to reports published by Quartz. Hu holds a doctorate from Tsinghua University and previously conducted research at Microsoft Research Asia and Baidu before starting the new venture.
Terms of the Winverse AI Seed Financing
The funding round is sized in the tens of millions of dollars, according to people familiar with the transaction cited by Dealroom. In addition to DeepSeek acting as the lead investor, Meituan's venture capital arm, Long-Z Investments, has also committed funds to the round. The transaction is not yet finalized, and the final valuation and investor roster could shift before closing.
Representatives for DeepSeek and Long-Z Investments, as well as Hu Han, did not respond to requests for comment on the pending investment, Bloomberg reported via TNW.
DeepSeek plans to finance the transaction using capital from its own pending primary funding round. Founded in 2023 by hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, DeepSeek is currently finalizing a round of at least 80 billion yuan (roughly $12 billion) ahead of a planned public listing in early 2027. While that capital pool was primarily set aside for model training infrastructure and data center capacity, Bloomberg reported that DeepSeek is also using the funds to back a cohort of specialized startups for cooperative development.
From Language Models to Factory Hardware
The investment in Winverse AI builds upon DeepSeek's existing initiatives in physical automation. Prior to Unitree Robotics listing on the Shanghai stock exchange in August 2026, DeepSeek acquired a 2.31% strategic stake in the humanoid robot maker, as detailed by Quartz. Under the terms of that agreement, DeepSeek accepted a 36-month lock-up period—three times longer than the holding period agreed to by typical strategic investors—signaling an intent to co-develop embodied intelligence rather than pursue short-term returns.
China holds a dominant position in manufacturing mechanical robot bodies, highlighted by Unitree's $900 million public listing in August. However, building the software foundation models that allow humanoid machines to comprehend spoken instructions and manipulate objects in unpredictable physical environments requires distinct research methodologies from text-based chatbots, according to analysis in Dealroom's report. Winverse AI is targeting that architectural layer by building generalized foundation brains specifically tuned for robotic platforms.
Global Competition in Embodied AI
Winverse AI enters an embodied intelligence market where American counterparts have already secured significant capital reserves at substantially higher valuations. In the United States, foundation robotics companies Skild AI and Physical Intelligence are valued at $14 billion and $5.6 billion, respectively, having raised funds from tech giants such as Nvidia and Alphabet, according to data cited by Quartz.
At a $400 million post-money valuation, Winverse AI starts with a smaller balance sheet than its Silicon Valley peers. However, its positioning reflects an ongoing shift within China's domestic ecosystem, where prominent senior researchers are leaving established tech conglomerates like Tencent to establish independent labs focused on physical autonomy, world modeling, and factory robotics. DeepSeek's decision to deploy its balance sheet as an anchor investor suggests that China's top foundation model developers intend to own stakes in the robotic control systems that deploy their intellectual property into factories and workplaces.
Questions people ask
What is Winverse AI?
Winverse AI is an embodied artificial intelligence startup founded in 2026 by former lead scientist of Tencent vision-language and embodied foundation model teams Hu Han to develop general-purpose AI models for robots.
How much is DeepSeek investing in Winverse AI?
The seed funding round is sized in the tens of millions of dollars, with DeepSeek leading the round at an estimated post-money valuation of roughly $400 million.
Has the funding round closed?
The transaction has not been finalized yet, meaning the final post-money valuation and the list of participating investors could still change.
What other robotics investments does DeepSeek hold?
DeepSeek previously acquired a 2.31% strategic stake in humanoid robot manufacturer Unitree Robotics prior to its August 2026 Shanghai listing, agreeing to a 36-month lock-up period.
Sources
- DeepSeek to lead seed round in $400mn robot AI start-up, Bloomberg reportsTNW | Artificial-intelligence, Oct 12, 2026
- DeepSeek leads $400 million seed round for robotics AI startupqz.com, Oct 12, 2026
- DeepSeek backs ex-Tencent scientist's robotics startup Winverse AI - Bloomberginvesting.com, Oct 12, 2026
- DeepSeek leads $400M robot-AI seed round for ex-Tencent scientist's labDealroom.co, Oct 12, 2026
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Published October 13, 2026 at 01:40 UTC
