Which big tech executives started companies this year, and who did VC/PE invest in?

Everyday Economic News Reporter | Yao Yanan Everyday Economic News Editor | Xiao Ruidong

The landscape of AI startups is welcoming a new wave of builders.

Recently, companies such as VLight, Zhijian Power, and Beta Infinity have announced new funding rounds, covering areas like embodied intelligence, AI hardware, and core components.

Notably, these companies’ founding teams generally have backgrounds at major tech firms, but the origins are becoming increasingly diverse—no longer limited to traditional internet giants like BAT, but also including leaders from new-generation tech companies such as Xiaomi, DJI, and well-known new energy brands like Li Auto, who are now attracting VC/PE attention.

For these “leaders” emerging from new giants, capital has responded quickly and directly. A review shows some companies secured tens of millions of dollars just two days after founding, some achieved multiple funding rounds within half a year to become “unicorns,” and others even received checks from their former employers. Investors are rushing to fund, and industry capital is actively participating, becoming a new benchmark for measuring the current startup boom.

Recently, Zhijian Power announced it completed five funding rounds in the past six months, with a total of 2 billion RMB raised, and its latest round valued the company at over $1 billion post-investment. It has become the youngest “unicorn” in embodied intelligence. The Daily Economic News notes that the core team of this star startup comes from Li Auto. The CEO is Jia Peng, former head of intelligent driving technology R&D at Li Auto, and the chairman is Wang Kai, former CTO of Li Auto.

Almost simultaneously, VLight, founded by former vivo star product manager Song Ziwei, also announced it received backing from top firms like Sequoia China, Blue Lake Capital, and Ant Group’s strategic investment. As an early member of vivo iQOO’s founding team, Song Ziwei experienced the explosive growth of iQOO and has gained high recognition in the tech circle.

These consecutive announcements are just a glimpse of the “veteran startup wave” among major tech companies this year. The review shows that since 2026, many funded startups are backed by experienced personnel from internet and hard tech giants: after leaving Xiaomi, Wang Teng founded the sleep health tech brand Today Rest, quickly raising several million yuan in seed funding; and Zhijian Power, which completed a $10 million angel round just two days after its founding, was founded by Qi Junyuan, who previously worked at ByteDance, responsible for the PC version of Doubao.

It is noteworthy that these veteran entrepreneurs tend to focus on highly similar fields—cutting-edge technology sectors: from embodied intelligence and robotics to AI hardware and core components, and AI infrastructure. They are almost collectively betting on hard-core fields on the eve of technological breakthroughs. This reflects that executives from large firms with industry experience are optimistic about the development potential of these long-term, high-threshold tracks, hoping to leverage their technical expertise and industry insights to secure key positions in the next wave of technological advancement.

Meanwhile, the lineage of entrepreneurs is clearly shifting across generations. In the past, BAT dominated talent output in the internet sector; now, giants like Xiaomi, DJI, and Li Auto have become new talent reservoirs. Most of these entrepreneurs have experienced the full process of smart hardware development—from R&D and mass production to supply chain management—which is precisely the core capability needed as AI moves from technology to the physical world.

It is also worth noting that the speed of funding is becoming a new measure of the enthusiasm among veteran entrepreneurs from major tech firms.

Wang Teng’s new company, Today Rest, was founded only 14 days ago and completed a seed round of several million yuan, with participation from GGV Capital, Yunji Capital, and others. Qi Junyuan’s Zhijian Power announced an even more astonishing pace—just two days after its founding, it secured a $10 million angel round, with investors including IDG Capital and Jiayue Star, a large AI model company.

Even more noteworthy, some startups have received investment from their former employers. Media reports indicate that DJI’s former E-bike core R&D lead, Long Biao, founded ChiLong Power in October last year, focusing on outdoor off-road tracks. Tianyancha data shows that DJI appeared as an investor in the company in February this year.

Analyzing the investor composition of these companies reveals a clear trend: industry capital is becoming an important funding force. Besides financial investors like Sequoia and GGV, more and more industry-backed funds are entering the scene. For example, Tencent and Alibaba have invested in Zhijian Power; Ant Group participated in VLight’s funding; Zhiyuan Robotics and Xilimen appear among Today Rest’s shareholders.

For industry capital, investing in these startups is not just about financial returns but also about exploring potential business synergies. Financial investors focus on return prospects, while industry capital is more concerned with whether the invested companies can complement or support their own businesses. The simultaneous entry of both types of capital has, to some extent, accelerated the funding speed and scale for these startups.

Cover image source: Meiri Media Asset Library