Kimi chatbot maker Moonshot AI seeks $30B valuation

Moonshot AI Seeks $30 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round

Moonshot AI, the Beijing-based developer of the Kimi chatbot, is in discussions to raise between $1 billion and $2 billion in a new funding round that would value the startup at as much as $30 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. The fundraising, first reported by Bloomberg on Monday, would mark a roughly 50 percent premium to the $20 billion valuation the company achieved just last month.scmp

A Sixfold Surge in Six Months

If completed at the targeted valuation, the round would cap a remarkable ascent for one of China’s most closely watched AI companies. Moonshot raised $500 million at a $4.3 billion valuation in December 2025, secured more than $700 million at a $10 billion valuation in early 2026, and then closed a $2 billion round led by Meituan’s venture arm Long-Z Investments in May that lifted its valuation past $20 billion. The company has raised a total of $3.9 billion over the past six months, according to financial adviser HF Capital.yahoo

A $30 billion valuation would represent a more than sixfold increase from Moonshot’s standing at the end of last year.technode

Revenue Growth Fueling Investor Appetite

Moonshot’s rapid fundraising pace has been underpinned by strong commercial traction. The company’s annualized recurring revenue surpassed $100 million in early March following the release of its K2.5 model, and exceeded $200 million by April, driven by paid subscriptions and API usage, according to Wang Xinyu, a partner at Meituan’s Long-Z Investments arm.techcrunch

The fundraising comes as investor enthusiasm for Chinese AI startups intensifies. Peers Zhipu AI and MiniMax both made their public market debuts on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this year, attracting strong demand. The final terms and participants in Moonshot’s new round remain subject to change, according to people familiar with the discussions.tmtpost