3 6 Ke·2026-01-15 07:19Core Insights - The AI sector witnessed significant developments in 2025, highlighted by the launch of the DeepSeek-R1 model, which achieved over 22.15 million daily active users within 21 days, sparking widespread AI adoption during the Chinese New Year [1] - Major transactions included Meta's acquisition of Manus for between $2 billion and $3 billion, and the IPOs of Chinese AI unicorns Zhiyuan and MiniMax on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, marking them as the first and second publicly listed companies in the global large model space [1] Group 1: Manus and Meta - Manus, founded by Xiao Hong, initially gained attention with a successful test video and $75 million in funding, but faced challenges including layoffs and a potential crisis before being acquired by Meta [4][6] - Xiao Hong will take on a significant role at Meta, focusing on AI strategy and product development, following Meta's history of acquiring key talent in the AI field [6][10] - Meta's strategy appears to be shifting towards commercialization, as evidenced by the acquisition of Manus and the integration of its team into Meta's AI initiatives [11][12] Group 2: Zhiyuan and MiniMax IPOs - Zhiyuan, a project stemming from Tsinghua University, successfully transitioned from academic research to commercial success, becoming the first independent company to develop a large model with over 1 trillion parameters [15][16] - MiniMax, founded by former SenseTime executive Yan Junjie, focuses on multi-modal AI models and has attracted significant investment from major gaming companies, positioning itself as a key player in the AI landscape [17][18] - Both companies' IPOs reflect a broader trend of AI firms seeking to capitalize on their technological advancements and market potential, despite facing challenges such as legal disputes over intellectual property [19][20]