From Dealroom · · 50s
DeepSeek Funds $400M Robot AI Startup
DeepSeek leads $400M seed round for ex-Tencent scientist's robot AI lab.
In brief
DeepSeek leads $400M seed round for ex-Tencent scientist's robot AI lab. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, invested $400 million in Winverse AI, a startup founded by ex-Tencent scientist Hu Han, to develop robot intelligence for real-world applications. Originally reported by Dealroom.
Quick answers
- What's the deal?
- DeepSeek leads a seed round for Winverse AI, a months-old startup building AI for robots, valued at $400 million.
- Who's behind it?
- Winverse was founded in 2026 by Hu Han, formerly lead scientist on Tencent's vision-language and embodied foundation model teams.
- Why now?
- DeepSeek is close to securing at least $11 billion in fresh funding, blowing past its target ahead of a market debut in early 2027.
- What's the endgame?
- The deal pushes DeepSeek beyond chatbots into real-world applications such as humanoid robots on factory floors.
- What is the key takeaway from DeepSeek Funds $400M Robot AI Startup?
- DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, invested $400 million in Winverse AI, a startup founded by ex-Tencent scientist Hu Han, to develop robot intelligence for real-world applications.
What's the deal?
DeepSeek leads a seed round for Winverse AI, a months-old startup building AI for robots, valued at $400 million.
Who's behind it?
Winverse was founded in 2026 by Hu Han, formerly lead scientist on Tencent's vision-language and embodied foundation model teams.
Why now?

DeepSeek is close to securing at least $11 billion in fresh funding, blowing past its target ahead of a market debut in early 2027.
What's the endgame?
The deal pushes DeepSeek beyond chatbots into real-world applications such as humanoid robots on factory floors.
Here's the gist
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, invested $400 million in Winverse AI, a startup founded by ex-Tencent scientist Hu Han, to develop robot intelligence for real-world applications.


