大模型挣钱有多难，看看智谱亏掉的 62 亿

Core Viewpoint - The rapid capitalization process of large model startups is outpacing other industries, with the first global large model IPO imminent, highlighting China's faster deployment of AI compared to North America [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Zhiyu, a representative of large model startups, has accelerated its IPO process due to increasing funding pressures in the large model sector, with significant investments from global tech giants [1] - The company was founded in 2019 by a team from Tsinghua University, known as the "Tsinghua Gang," and has raised over 8 rounds of funding, totaling over 8.3 billion RMB [4][5] Group 2: Financial Performance - Zhiyu's revenue has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 130% over the past three years, but losses have also increased significantly, with total losses exceeding 6.2 billion RMB during the same period [2][5] - The company's cumulative revenue from 2022 to mid-2025 is approximately 685 million RMB, while cumulative losses exceed 6.2 billion RMB, with the loss-to-revenue ratio rising from 250.2% in 2022 to 1235.3% in the first half of 2023 [2][5] Group 3: R&D and Operational Costs - Over the past three years, Zhiyu's cumulative R&D expenditure has reached 2.809 billion RMB, with a projected increase to 1.595 billion RMB in the first half of 2025, totaling over 4.4 billion RMB [4][12] - The majority of R&D spending is attributed to computing power costs, with over 70% of R&D expenses allocated to service fees for computing power [12] Group 4: Market Position and Revenue Sources - Zhiyu ranks first among independent general large model developers in China, with a market share of approximately 6.6%, and is second overall among all general model developers [6][7] - The company's revenue is primarily derived from B-end clients, with localized deployment accounting for over 85% of total revenue in recent years, while cloud deployment remains a smaller segment [7][9] Group 5: Future Prospects and Challenges - Zhiyu is actively expanding its cloud-based MaaS platform and has reported significant growth in subscription services, with annual recurring revenue exceeding 100 million RMB [10] - Despite the growth in cloud services, the company faces challenges in maintaining its competitive edge, as the rapid evolution of model performance makes it difficult to sustain leadership in the market [14]