- China’s deep-tech sector saw another wave of major funding, with AI chips and semiconductor equipment leading the charge
- Investors are also backing neuromorphic vision and industrial robotics as physical AI moves toward commercialization
Sunrise raises shy of $300 million to scale AI inference GPUs
Hangzhou-based AI inference GPU developer Sunrise (曦望) has raised 2 billion yuan ($297 million) in a new equity financing round, valuing the company at approximately 20 billion yuan post-money.
Investors include PICC Capital, CCB Equity, China Orient Asset Management, Janchor Partners, CAS Star, Cowin Capital and Addor Capital, Highlight Capital, alongside strategic investors including Chia Tai Group, Andon Medical, Infore Enviro, 37 Interactive Entertainment and Tongcheng Travel.
Sunrise was spun out of SenseTime’s chip business at the end of 2024, with SenseTime co-founder Xu Bing (徐冰) serving as chairman.
The company focuses on AI inference GPUs and supporting software, and has developed three generations of products, S1, S2 and S3.
Its S3 inference GPU uses LPDDR memory and targets a 90% reduction in per-Token inference costs compared with mainstream solutions.
Sunrise has raised nearly 6 billion yuan since its spin-off. The latest funding will support mass production of the S3 GPU and expansion of its software ecosystem. The company is one of Hangzhou’s “New Eight Stallions,” a cohort of fast-growing deep-tech startups.
Pioneer Semiconductor Research closes $222 million Series B
Wuxi-based semiconductor equipment maker Pioneer Semiconductor Research (研微半导体) has raised nearly 1.5 billion yuan ($222 million) in a Series B round.
Investors include CETC Group’s industrial fund, CRRC Capital, BOE and CICC Capital, while existing backers including Wuxi Industrial Investment and Shanghai Allin Capital continued to invest.
Founded in 2022, Pioneer Semiconductor Research develops advanced thin-film deposition equipment, including ALD, PECVD and specialty epitaxy systems.
Its product portfolio covers tALD, PEALD and RP EPI applications for logic and memory chips as well as advanced packaging.
The new funding will support product development, capacity expansion and R&D, as the company accelerates domestic substitution of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Vision chip startup PrimeVision nets nearly $74 million
Shanghai-based neuromorphic vision chip developer PrimeVision (晰见科技) has completed three consecutive financing rounds totaling nearly 500 million yuan ($74 million).
Investors include Xuhui Capital, Meridian Capital, Matrix Partners China, Innoangel Fund and the Tsinghua Capital, spanning state capital, global financial investors and Tsinghua-affiliated funds that back alumni ventures.
Founded in May 2025, PrimeVision develops neuromorphic complementary vision chips, vision systems and front-end algorithms designed to provide high-performance, low-power visual perception for physical AI applications.
The latest funding will support mass production and commercialization of its second-generation neuromorphic vision chip, next-generation technology development and customer customization.
Dexterous Hand raises secures angel round to scale robotics
Wuxi-based industrial embodied robotics company Dexterous Hand (灵掌机器人) has raised tens of millions of yuan in an angel round from Kailong High Technology, Wuxi Future Angel Fund, Renzheng Fund and Aubo Robotics.
The company will use the funding to develop products for industrial production lines, specialized operations and commercial aerospace, while strengthening sales and order-delivery capabilities.
Founded in 2024, Dexterous Hand focuses on industrial dexterous hands and has built an end-to-end technology stack spanning mechanical design, hardware development and intelligent algorithms.
Its industrial dexterous hands are designed to support more than 90% of industrial applications, including precision component assembly and operations in hazardous environments.
