Original Source

Chinese AI model sector sees renewed large-scale funding as Stepfun aims to raise approximately $2.5 billion from industrial capital, including smartphone and consumer electronics companies like Huaqin Technology and ZTE. The company focuses on integrating AI models into end devices.

Large-Scale Investment Resumes in Chinese AI Model Sector

Following DeepSeek and Kimi, the Chinese AI model sector is once again seeing major fundraising activities. According to Securities Times, artificial intelligence startup Stepfun (阶跃星辰) is expected to raise approximately $2.5 billion (around 400 billion KRW). This funding round is notably characterized by the participation of industrial capital, including smartphone and consumer electronics companies such as Huaqin Technology and ZTE.

Focus on Multimodal LLM and Device AI

Established in April 2023, Stepfun has developed the 'Step' series of large language models (LLMs). These models demonstrate high performance in multimodal areas, covering text, audio, images, video, and complex reasoning, maintaining a leading position in the industry. The latest 'Step 3' series is particularly noted for its excellent visual recognition capabilities, advanced reasoning, and high inference efficiency. Currently, Stepfun is focusing on deploying agents for end devices, collaborating with hardware manufacturers of smartphones, automobiles, IoT, and robots to integrate its models and build "super assistants." The company has announced collaborations with manufacturers such as OPPO and Honor, with its AI models pre-installed on over 42 million smartphones.

*Source: 36Kr Japan (2026-05-27)*

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