DeepSeek to Lead Seed Round for Robot AI Startup Winverse, Bloomberg Reports
Artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek is set to lead a multi-million-dollar seed investment in robotics startup Winverse, valuing the company at approximately $400 million.
Key points
- DeepSeek will lead the seed funding round for Winverse AI, a startup focused on artificial intelligence for robots.
- The investment round is valued at tens of millions of dollars, placing Winverse's post-money valuation at roughly $400 million.
- Meituan’s investment arm, Long-Z, has also committed capital to the round, according to people familiar with the matter.
DeepSeek has agreed to lead the initial funding round for Winverse AI, a startup developing artificial intelligence systems for robots, Bloomberg reported. The financial terms of the deal involve a seed investment worth tens of millions of dollars, which would value the startup at approximately $400 million following the capital injection.
The deal is not yet final, and both the valuation and the list of investors remain subject to change, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Meituan’s investment arm, Long-Z, has also committed to participating in this funding round. These details were provided by sources familiar with the situation to Bloomberg.
Context and Background
Winverse was founded earlier this year by Hu Han, who previously led Tencent’s vision-language and robotics artificial intelligence teams. Hu holds a PhD from Tsinghua University and has held positions at Microsoft Research Asia and Baidu. He departed Tencent during a reshuffle of its AI research team, which aimed to catch up with rivals such as DeepSeek and Moonshot.
This investment represents one of DeepSeek’s largest bets on a startup to date. The lab previously acquired a stake in humanoid robot manufacturer Unitree when the company listed on the Shanghai stock exchange. DeepSeek is currently close to raising at least $12 billion in a funding round backed by Tencent, ahead of a planned public listing in early 2027.
Strategic Implications
The $12 billion funding round for DeepSeek is primarily intended for training models and expanding data center infrastructure. Meanwhile, China leads the global market in building physical robot bodies, but creating the intelligence required for real-world tasks requires different AI capabilities than those used in chatbots. US competitors such as Skild AI and Physical Intelligence are already valued in the billions as they develop similar technologies.
DeepSeek, Long-Z, and Hu Han did not respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment regarding the investment or the startup’s strategic direction. The lack of official confirmation underscores the preliminary nature of the reported deal, with all financial figures and participant lists remaining fluid until a formal agreement is reached and disclosed publicly.
What should you do?
Security and technology professionals should monitor developments in AI-driven robotics, as the convergence of large language models and physical automation introduces new attack surfaces. Organizations deploying robotic systems should review their network segmentation strategies to isolate AI control systems from general corporate networks.
Background: Large language models
Large language models are a specific type of neural network trained on text. Generative AI is the broader umbrella term for any system that creates new content, including images and code. Not all generative AI uses large language models, but most modern text generators do.
What to do and how to stay safe: DeepSeek
- Monitor official announcements from DeepSeek and Winverse AI to confirm the final terms and valuation of the investment round.
- Review current network security policies to ensure that AI-driven robotic systems are isolated from critical internal infrastructure.
- Assess the supply chain risks associated with robotics hardware, particularly when integrating AI models from third-party providers.
- Stay informed about regulatory developments regarding AI in physical systems, as new standards may impact deployment and compliance requirements.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Who is leading the investment round for Winverse AI?
DeepSeek has agreed to lead the seed funding round for Winverse AI, according to Bloomberg reports citing people familiar with the matter.
What is the valuation of Winverse AI after this investment?
The seed round would value Winverse AI at approximately $400 million after the investment, though the deal is not yet final.
Who founded Winverse AI and what is their background?
Winverse AI was founded by Hu Han, who previously led Tencent’s vision-language and robotics AI teams and has worked at Microsoft Research Asia and Baidu.
