This AI companion robot company, which has collaborated with multiple leading IPs, has secured tens of millions of yuan in Series A financing | Exclusive from 36Kr

Author | Lin Qingqing

Editor | Yuan Silai

36Kr learned that the AI + robotics integrated service provider "Shouhua Technology" recently completed a Series A financing of tens of millions of yuan, led by a fund under the Hangzhou Media Group, with follow - on investment from existing shareholders. The funds from this round will be used for the R & D of large AI models, the upgrade of hardware production lines, and the global market layout.

"Shouhua Technology" was founded in 2017. In its early days, it entered the children's companion robot market with the "IP + smart hardware" model and has now expanded to the fields of adult emotional companionship and AI wearable devices. The company's core business includes cooperation with IP holders such as Disney Pixar and Tom Cat (B2B), as well as the independent development of consumer - oriented emotional interaction hardware. Its third - generation AI robot and somatosensory chip have passed the verification of leading customers, and the hardware cost is 30% lower than the industry average.

The AI + hardware market has significant potential, but the technological maturity restricts large - scale applications. The children's smart hardware market suffers from severe homogenization, and users generally report the problem of "short - term idleness"; the demand for adult emotional companionship is fragmented, and it faces substitution competition from online AI applications. Globally, the East Asian market has a relatively high acceptance of emotional interaction products, but the sensitivity of sensors, the naturalness of dialogue, and cost control remain bottlenecks in the industry. Wang Gefei of "Shouhua Technology" said, "The coordinated optimization of hardware and AI is the key to breakthrough. Many products have difficulty truly opening up the market due to fragmented user experiences or high pricing."

In terms of technology, the company improves the interaction experience through self - developed micro - electronic sensors and AI algorithms. Its children's robot is equipped with dynamic micro - motion sensing technology, combined with a large - model dialogue system. Tests show that the average daily interaction frequency of users has increased by 40%; the adult - oriented wearable devices focus on anxiety - relief scenarios and trigger feedback actions through real - time emotion monitoring. The self - developed somatosensory chip weighs only 4.9 grams and supports motion recognition without external devices, providing cooperation and services for many leading IPs and listed companies.

In terms of market competition, the speed of technological iteration and the IP cooperation model remain the main challenges. To reduce risks, "Shouhua Technology" plans to accelerate its overseas expansion. Its newly launched first adult - oriented product is expected to enter the European and American markets in 2025; at the same time, it will promote the R & D of ultra - low - power chips and screen - less interaction to further reduce costs. The company revealed that the next - generation products will integrate AI + AR technology to provide customized solutions for cultural tourism and education scenarios.

In terms of the team, the core members of "Shouhua Technology" cover the fields of micro - electronics, AI algorithms, and industrial design. The founder, Wang Gefei, has 10 years of experience in AI + IP product development and has participated in many leading IP robot projects; the co - founder, Zhou Chen, is a senior designer who has participated in and served IPs such as "Tom Cat", "The Incredibles", and "Monkey King: Hero Is Back"; the technical director, Song Zijian, is a post - doctorate from Peking University and holds 16 patents. More than 80% of the team members have a master's degree or above, and most of them are returnees from top universities or have worked in relevant fields in large enterprises.

Investors' Views

Wang Jian, the founder of Tom Cat: The explosion of AI applications is imminent, and there will be many waves of impact. The AI companion robot market is very likely to be among the first few waves. Different from other types of robots, companion robots benefit the most from the emergence of large - model capabilities, so the pace of their explosion will be very fast, and it is worth making heavy investments now. We have made systematic layouts in all aspects of the industrial chain of this market, weaving a large net to catch the big fish.

Qiu Jie, the vice - president of Hangzhou Guangyi Yiyi, an investor: As a new institution targeting artificial intelligence +, we have been closely following the computing power and various sub - sectors of artificial intelligence since our establishment. We believe that the key to the AI wave is that the cost of using AI infrastructure meets the commercialization requirements, which is similar to the explosion of Internet applications. Back then, it was the improvement of mobile Internet infrastructure and the national - led speed - up and fee - reduction that made the usage price of important production factors for Internet applications reach the commercialization standard. The launch of Deepseek is this landmark moment. In 2024, we have been looking for the first directions in which AI applications will explode when AI infrastructure meets the commercialization requirements, and companion AI must be among the first. In this market, Shouhua Technology, relying on its strong industry resource accumulation, shareholder support, and technological reserves, fully meets the necessary conditions to become an industry pioneer.