MoneyThe story, in brief
Former Alibaba Star Researcher Starts New AI Lab, Seeks $2 Billion Valuation
$2B valuation. Former Alibaba Qwen lead just spun out a new AI lab — and top Chinese VCs are already circling.
The KeyNews take
Why it matters
A top talent departure from China's largest AI lab signals continued brain drain and venture appetite for standalone model research outside big tech. This could reshape the competitive landscape for open-source model development in Asia.
The key facts
6 to knowJunyang Lin, former lead researcher of Alibaba Qwen models
$2 billion post-money valuation target
Seeking several hundred million dollars in funding
Gaorong Ventures and HongShan in funding discussions
Discussions ongoing, final valuation subject to change
Source: The Information (two people with direct knowledge)
Go to the source
The Informationtheinformation.com
Publisher excerpt: Junyang Lin, former lead researcher of Alibaba’s Qwen models, is seeking to raise several hundred million dollars for his new AI lab, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. The new AI lab will likely be valued at around $2 billion after the funding round, the people said,…