Geely-linked tech veteran Yin Qi joins Chinese AI start-up StepFun as chairman
StepFun closes US$690 million B+ funding round as the company doubles down on “physical AI”
Chinese artificial intelligence start-up StepFun has appointed Yin Qi, the co-founder and former CEO of Megvii, as its chairman, as the company wraps up a 5 billion yuan (US$690 million) Series B+ funding round and sharpens its focus on so-called “physical AI” – artificial intelligence designed to power real-world machines such as cars and robots.
Yin, a prominent figure from China’s first wave of computer-vision start-ups, is also chairman of Qianli Technology, a Geely-backed smart-driving firm.
The appointment reinforced StepFun’s “AI plus terminal devices” strategy, the company said, leveraging Yin’s experience in commercialising AI technologies, particularly in smart cars.
The company said its core management team would consist of Yin as chairman, Jiang as CEO, and Zhu Yibo, a former Microsoft and ByteDance AI veteran, as chief technology officer.
Yi would be responsible for setting the company’s overall strategic pace and technological direction, the company said in a statement.