India/Asia AI and tech thaw with elite non-US mega-rounds
Key Questions
What recent funding did Sarvam AI secure?
Sarvam raised $234M at a $1.5B valuation as part of India's AI growth. The round contributes to the $6.9B total raised by Indian startups in H1 2026.
How much funding has Kling AI raised and at what valuation?
Kling AI raised nearly $3B at an $18B valuation with backing from Alibaba and Tencent. The funds support its generative video platform and compute needs.
What is DeepSeek's current valuation after its latest round?
DeepSeek reached a $52B valuation following a $7.4B funding round. It joins other Chinese AI firms like Moonshot AI at $20B.
Which Indian startups are preparing for IPOs or large raises?
Zepto filed its DRHP while Origin Fresh is in talks to raise $10M. Indian VC funding surged 21% year-over-year in the first half of 2026.
What is Mowito developing with its recent seed funding?
Mowito raised $3M to train factory robots through demonstration rather than code. The physical AI approach targets robotics applications.
How are Chinese firms addressing U.S. export controls on chips?
Dongfang Suanxin exited stealth with 3D stacking chips designed to bypass controls. Bose Quantum also completed pre-IPO funding.
What is Antler's One Asia thesis focused on?
Antler's One Asia thesis examines whether AI hype will sustain investment across the region. It tests opportunities amid varying funding cycles.
Which companies are building AI infrastructure in India and Asia?
Zoho developed an India-built AI server and TCS is deploying 500K AI agents. Meta and Reliance also announced a data center partnership.
Sarvam $234M at $1.5B; DeepSeek $7.4B at $52B; Moonshot AI $20B; StepFun files HK IPO up to $12B. China AI funding $16.2B Q1. Indian startups $6.9B H1 2026. Zepto files DRHP. Meta-Reliance data center deal. Zoho India-built AI server. TCS 500K AI agents. Z.ai ZCode on Huawei. Kling AI $3B at $18B. Dongfang Suanxin 3D stacking chips. Bose Quantum pre-IPO; QuantumCTek 10B yuan Series D. New: Mowito $3M pre-seed (physical AI, demo-based robot training, Soumith Chintala angel). Origin Fresh in talks to raise $10M (Indian agri-tech). Antler's 'One Asia' thesis tests AI hype cycle.