China AI start-up Moonshot snags funds at US$18 billion valuation

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by BloombergMarch 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM

AI Summary

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Chinese AI start-up Moonshot AI is seeking to raise up to $1 billion in a new funding round, potentially valuing the company at $18 billion. This valuation more than quadruples its value in just three months, highlighting investor interest in Chinese AI developers. Moonshot, the creator of the Kimi chatbot, previously secured over $700 million earlier this year, valuing it at $10 billion, following a $500 million tranche that valued it at $4.3 billion towards the end of last year. The rapid fundraising reflects the growing appetite for Chinese start-ups competing with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic to develop advanced AI services. Other Chinese AI companies like Zhipu and MiniMax Group have also seen high valuations recently.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Zhipu 40% Hong Kong 40% Baidu 40% OpenAI 50% 5Y Capital 50% Anthropic 50% Alibaba Group Holding 60% MiniMax Group ×260% Tencent Holdings 60% Silicon Valley 70% China ×280% Moonshot AI ×690%

Keywords

moonshot ai 100% artificial intelligence 90% ai start-up 80% valuation 70% funding round 70% china 60% kimi chatbot 50% silicon valley 50% openai 40% investor appetite 40%