Weekly Funding Signal
AI infrastructure and robotics drew the largest tickets this week, while crypto funding retreated to a trickle as capital chased compute, data centers, and embodied intelligence.
Key Deals
| Project | Sector | Amount | Investors | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 中科第五纪 (Zhongke Fifth Era) | Embodied Intelligence | Over ¥1 billion (A1 + A2 rounds) | Led by Xigao Investment, Bank of China AIC Fund, Sanfeng Investment; A2 round led by Xinneng Venture, Bank of China AIC Fund, Zhongshan Venture, Hongruida Investment, Boyan Technology, Jinchuangtou | Chinese state-backed funds are backing embodied AI at scale, signaling Beijing's priority for humanoid robots. |
| 眸深智能 (Moushen Intelligence) | Embodied Intelligence | ~¥500 million (Pre-A+ round) | Led by Shenbao Yiben Fund, Orient Securities, Shaanxi High-tech Industry Investment; existing investors Chuanghehui Capital, Xuhui Capital, Gengxin Capital | Valuation surged 10x in six months, making it one of the fastest-growing embodied brain companies. |
| Current Robotics (元流) | Humanoid Robots | ~¥hundreds of millions (cumulative) | BV Baidu Ventures, Hillhouse Ventures, Oasis Capital, Monolith, Qianhai FOF, Fosun RZ Capital, Junshan Capital; strategic from Zhiyuan Robotics, Xinghaitu, Jike Technology | Strategic backing from established robot firms plus Baidu and Hillhouse points to a race for full-body dexterity data. |
| NeoSoul | Web3+AI | $11 million Pre-A | MH Ventures, Amber Group, ArkStream Capital, 0G Foundation, Kirin Capital, CatcherVC, New Oak International | Backed by Amber Group, NeoSoul is building AI agent-based trading on BNB Chain, blending crypto and AI economies. |
| Beldex | Privacy Blockchain | $8 million | Led by Sigma Capital; NTC, Nxgen, Digital Consensus Fund, EAK Ventures | Beldex's pivot to privacy-preserving AI agents is a unique intersection of two hot sectors. |
| twyne | DeFi Lending | $2.5 million seed | Led by cyber Fund and Ethereal Ventures; Euler, Daedalus | Addressing idle credit in DeFi lending could unlock capital efficiency but remains early-stage. |
Builder to Watch
- 中科第五纪 (Zhongke Fifth Era): This Chinese embodied intelligence firm raised over ¥1 billion across two rounds in quick succession, with state-owned funds and Bank of China's AIC vehicle among the backers. The staggering amount signals Beijing's determination to dominate humanoid robotics, a strategic imperative rivaling the US. Unlike many competitors focused on a single aspect, Zhongke Fifth Era appears to be building full-stack capabilities—from data collection to foundation models and dexterous manipulation. Its rapid fundraising and government backing make it a bellwether for China's Physical AI push.
- NeoSoul: NeoSoul is building an AI economy infrastructure on BNB Chain and 0G, with a fresh $11 million Pre-A round co-led by Amber Group and MH Ventures. Its NeoTrade platform lets users configure autonomous AI trading agents, blurring the line between DeFi and AI agents. The involvement of Amber Group, a major Asia-based crypto market maker, gives it deep liquidity and trading expertise. As AI agents become the next big narrative in crypto, NeoSoul's position at the intersection of two Asian strongholds—BNB Chain and trading infrastructure—makes it one to watch.
Also Noted
- Gravis Robotics: SoftBank's $200M investment in the Swiss construction robot startup signals Asia's appetite for autonomous heavy machinery, though the company itself is not Asia-based.
- Wispr: The AI voice tool's $280M Series B included participation from Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India) and plans to expand in India, giving it a growing Asia angle.
- Cypherpunk Mining: Acquired Winklevoss Capital's Zcash mining assets for $33.3M, becoming the largest Zcash miner; no direct Asia connection but potentially relevant to Asian mining pools.
Capital Flow
- Crypto funding dried up to $27.5M across 5 deals, a sharp contrast to the billions flowing into AI infrastructure and robotics.
- Investors favored embodied intelligence with full-stack capabilities—data, models, and hardware—rather than point solutions.
- The strongest Asia angle was in China's state-backed robotics sector and AI-crypto hybrids like NeoSoul, while Japanese and Korean capital remained quiet.
PANews View
The crypto-AI narrative is maturing beyond token speculation into real infrastructure, but the capital gap between AI and crypto is widening. Chinese embodied AI is becoming a government-backed arms race, with valuations doubling in months. The real test for Asia will be whether these state-funded robotics ventures can achieve global commercial viability or end up as subsidized showcases.
