First Read China Internet Sector Expert series: Video generative AI We hosted a call with an expert from a leading domestic video generative AI platform. Takeaways: Kuaishou's all-in strategy in video genAI underpins Kling's ongoing leadership The expert ranked video genAI performance as Kuaishou Kling > Sora 2 > Veo3 > Seedance based on his team's internal testing results. Kuaishou's Kling stands out with stronger prompt learning capability, relatively longer duration video generation and more precise cont ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the competitive landscape of AI video generation, highlighting the rapid growth and potential of companies like Aishi Technology and OpenAI's Sora [5][7][11]. Company Developments - Aishi Technology has completed a B+ round financing of 100 million RMB, bringing its total funding to over 100 million USD since its establishment in April 2023 [5]. - Aishi's products, PixVerse and Pai Wo AI, have over 100 million total users and a monthly active user count exceeding 16 million, with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of 40 million USD [5]. - OpenAI launched the Sora 2 video generation model and Sora App, which quickly topped the US App Store free chart and surpassed 1 million downloads in less than two weeks [8][13]. Market Dynamics - The video generation app market is vast, with existing tools unable to cover all users, as evidenced by TikTok and Douyin's monthly active users exceeding 2 billion [9]. - Aishi's CEO noted that the emergence of AI is reshaping content consumption, similar to the impact of short videos [8]. - Despite Sora's rapid growth, Aishi's PixVerse has not been negatively impacted, indicating a large market capacity for multiple players [9]. Competitive Landscape - The current leading models in video generation are dominated by Chinese companies, with Kuaishou's Kling, Aishi's PixVerse, and MiniMax ranking in the top three, while Sora ranks 31st [11]. - ByteDance's video generation models, Seedance and Waver, are also strong competitors, with significant daily active user growth targets [12]. - The competition in the multi-modal field is intensifying, driven by the enormous consumer and entertainment potential [13].

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive," indicating an expectation that the industry index will outperform the market index by over 5% in the next six months [5]. Core Insights - OpenAI is investing heavily in the "Stargate" project to build next-generation AI infrastructure, planning to invest $500 billion over four years to create a 10GW power capacity, which is equivalent to one-fifth of the current global AI data center capacity [2][8]. - The launch of Sora 2 marks a new era in AI video generation, achieving breakthroughs in physical simulation and audio-visual synchronization, and transforming the product from a professional tool to a mass-market creative platform [2][12]. - The AI video generation market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5% from 2024 to 2032, driven by its disruptive cost advantages and ease of use [2][14]. Summary by Sections 1. Hardware and Computing Ecosystem - OpenAI's "Stargate" project aims to significantly enhance AI infrastructure, with partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom to secure future chip supplies and stabilize revenue expectations for hardware manufacturers [8][9]. - OpenAI's API call volume reached 6 billion tokens per minute, reflecting explosive growth in computational demand, with projected revenues of $130 billion for 2025 [9]. 2. Software Ecosystem and User Behavior - OpenAI is transitioning ChatGPT from a tool to an operating system-level platform, allowing third-party applications to be embedded, which enhances user interaction and engagement [10][11]. - As of July 2025, ChatGPT had over 700 million weekly active users, with a significant increase in non-work-related interactions, indicating deep integration into daily life [11]. 3. Sora 2's Technological Breakthroughs and Product Innovations - Sora 2 is seen as a pivotal moment in AI video generation, enabling coherent storytelling through synchronized audio and visual elements, and introducing social features that enhance user engagement [12][13]. - The Sora app quickly gained popularity, being dubbed the "AI version of TikTok," and allows users to create digital avatars for interactive content creation [12][13]. 4. Market Space and Commercial Prospects - The AI video generation sector is poised for rapid commercialization, with applications in both B2B and B2C markets, significantly reducing production costs and time [14][15]. - The technology's maturity and user experience improvements are accelerating its adoption across various sectors, including advertising and e-commerce [14][15]. 5. Investment Clues - Investment opportunities in AI video generation span infrastructure, application ecosystems, and vertical solutions, with significant potential in server and cooling technologies, as well as in marketing and content creation sectors [3][21][23].

Summary of Kuaishou Technology Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Kuaishou Technology - **Ticker**: 1024.HK - **Market Cap**: USD 31.534 billion as of July 18, 2025 [19] Industry Context - **Industry**: Internet Software & Services - **Key Competitors**: ByteDance's Seedance, Google's Veo 3, and Kuaishou's Kling 2.1 [8] Key Insights Competitive Landscape - The video generation model market has low entry barriers and switching costs, leading to users experimenting with various models rather than committing to one [2] - Chinese models are offered at a 40-80% discount compared to Google's Veo 3 subscription [2] - Each model has unique strengths: - **Veo 3**: Advanced audio generation and cinematic video quality - **Kling AI**: Editing tools and style control through image input - **Seedance**: Strong prompt adherence and multi-shot capabilities [2] Financial Performance - **Kling AI** reached an annualized revenue run rate (ARR) of USD 100 million by March 2025, with monthly bookings exceeding RMB 100 million [3] - Revenue breakdown: 70% from prosumer subscriptions, 30% from corporate clients' API fees, with 70% of revenue coming from overseas [3] - Kuaishou's revenue and adjusted net profit are projected to grow 11% and 7% year-over-year to RMB 34 billion and RMB 5 billion, respectively [4][14] Valuation Metrics - Kuaishou's target price raised to HKD 82 from HKD 75, reflecting a lower weighted average cost of capital (WACC) [4] - Kling AI's revenue estimate increased to USD 120 million for 2025 [4] - Valuation comparison with vertical AI peers shows an average price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 61x, suggesting Kling AI could be valued at USD 7 billion or HKD 13 per share [3][12] Growth Projections - Expected growth in various segments: - Advertising revenue: 12% year-over-year - E-commerce GMV: 14% year-over-year - Live-streaming revenue: 5% year-over-year [14] Risks and Challenges - Potential risks include regulatory changes affecting tipping and short-video content, increased content auditing costs, macroeconomic headwinds, and intensified competition in advertising and e-commerce [15] Financial Forecasts - Revenue projections for Kuaishou: - 2025: RMB 141.926 billion - 2026: RMB 155.624 billion - 2027: RMB 166.763 billion [16] - Net profit estimates: - 2025: RMB 17.313 billion - 2026: RMB 22.588 billion - 2027: RMB 27.911 billion [16] Conclusion - Kuaishou Technology is positioned for growth in the competitive landscape of video generation models, with strong revenue projections and a favorable valuation outlook. However, it faces regulatory and competitive risks that could impact its performance in the near term.