连投15笔，年化收益8倍，初创公司们真成顶级VC了？丨投中嘉川

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the emerging trend of "investing before becoming wealthy" in the AI sector, highlighting how companies are increasingly engaging in early-stage investments to build technological and ecological advantages [5][6][20]. Group 1: Company Overview - Zhiyuan Robotics held its first partner conference in Shanghai, where CEO Deng Taihua outlined the company's investment strategy, planning to establish a professional CVC platform and incubate over 50 early-stage projects within three years [6][10]. - The company has invested in 15 firms over the past year, achieving an annualized return rate of 8 times, positioning itself as a significant player in early-stage tech investments [7][13]. Group 2: Investment Strategy - Zhiyuan Robotics has completed 11 rounds of financing, maintaining a leading position in terms of cumulative financing and valuation in the domestic market [8][9]. - The company is set to enter a phase where it can easily secure funding, with plans for a C round of financing by the end of the year, attracting more international industrial capital [10][12]. Group 3: Investment Activities - The company has made two significant moves: acquiring the publicly listed company Shuangwei New Materials for 2.1 billion and becoming a key angel investor in the upstream and downstream of embodied intelligence [10][11]. - The 15 invested companies span various sectors, including robotics and AI software development, with several already securing new rounds of financing, indicating rapid growth in their valuations [12][13]. Group 4: Industry Trends - The trend of unicorns acting as investors is not isolated to Zhiyuan; other AI companies are also engaging in early-stage investments to strengthen their business ecosystems [16][17]. - The article notes that many AI companies are investing shortly after their establishment, contrasting with the longer timelines seen in previous tech waves like the internet [19][20]. Group 5: Future Outlook - Zhiyuan Robotics plans to invest several billion in the next three years through its "Zhiyuan A Plan," aiming to create a trillion-level industrial ecosystem [15][20]. - The aggressive investment strategy reflects a shift in competition from individual technologies to entire ecosystems, with companies leveraging capital to accelerate their market presence [20].