China has recently made headlines in the tech world after one of its artificial intelligence startups launched the world's largest open-weight AI systems in July 2026. The country is now a key player in the global AI race, releasing competitive models such as Kimi K3 and GLM-5.2 that rival US alternatives.

Leading this surge are the founders of top Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek, Z.ai, and Moonshot AI. Hangzhou-based DeepSeek notably surprised Silicon Valley in 2025 by releasing its R1 model, which it claimed matched US rivals’ performance at a fraction of the cost.

DeepSeek’s founder, 41-year-old Liang Wenfeng, hails from Zhanjiang in southern Guangdong province. A Zhejiang University graduate, Liang co-founded the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer in 2015. Under his leadership, the fund’s assets grew more than tenfold in four years. He reinvested substantial profits into acquiring over 10,000 Nvidia chips before US AI sanctions on China took effect. These early investments powered DeepSeek’s AI capabilities after its establishment in 2023.

Lin William Cong, president’s chair professor of Finance, Computing and Data Science at Nanyang Technological University, commented on China’s tech sector: "China's tech sector has long been very practical - arguably too focused on commercialisation and application, while free-riding on foundational research done elsewhere." He noted this trend as an attempt to demonstrate that Chinese firms can produce original innovation, not just follow others quickly. Cong also emphasized that commercialisation and innovation are complementary in a well-designed market.

According to a Reuters report, DeepSeek raised over US$2 billion in May 2026 from investors including Meituan, China Mobile, and CPE. The enthusiasm for Chinese AI models is evident, with one founder noting, "Kimi K3 has received far more love than we expected, and our GPUs are feeling it."

As China positions itself as an international AI leader, these founders and their companies are at the forefront of shaping the country’s AI development trajectory.

Sources