Ant Lingbo CEO Clarifies Independent Funding Rationale

Ant Lingbo CEO Zhu Xing stated that the company's first independent funding round is not driven by a lack of capital or computing resources, but rather by the need to improve talent incentives and corporate governance. The company is raising 1,500,000,000 CNY in this initial round, with a goal to complete a second round by the end of the year. ITHome reported the story during the 2026 Inclusion Bund Conference.

Zhu Xing explained that operating as an independent entity allows the company to better follow board directives and operational responsibility systems, thereby enhancing efficiency for long-term competition. He noted that the team includes members from academia, autonomous driving, and internet commerce, emphasizing that embodied intelligence requires a complete system where the model is a core but partial component.

Sources previously indicated frequent internal talent movement at Ant Lingbo this year, though Zhu Xing said key talent retention is not a concern. Earlier reports suggested the funding speed would surpass other embodied intelligence startups, partly due to high computing costs from Ant Group's intensive artificial intelligence investments.