# DeepSeek Funds $400M Robot AI Startup

> DeepSeek leads $400M seed round for ex-Tencent scientist's robot AI lab.
- Title: DeepSeek Funds $400M Robot AI Startup · Dealroom | Shortify
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: deepseek, winverse ai, hu han, tencent, robot ai, seed round, microsoft research asia, baidu, unitree robotics, ai models, embodied intelligence, chatgpt
- Source: Dealroom — https://dealroom.co/news/161739-deepseek-leads-400m-robot-ai-seed-round-for-ex-tencent-scientists-lab
- Published: 2026-10-12T13:42:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: deepseek, winverse ai, hu han, tencent, robot ai, seed round, microsoft research asia, baidu, unitree robotics, ai models, embodied intelligence, chatgpt
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.