Auto Executives Flood Into Embodied Intelligence Sector

[Executive Moves & Startups] Senior executives from automotive intelligent driving teams are rapidly transitioning into the humanoid robotics field.

Core Trend: Veterans of Autonomous Driving Cluster to Launch Robotics Startups

Guo Yandong (former Chief Scientist at XPeng) founded Zhi Pingfang, which became a unicorn within two years—completing seven funding rounds in just eight months and achieving a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Its open-source robot model, FiS-VLA, is the only one of its kind in China and one of only two globally.

Key Metrics: New Ventures Secure Heavy Investment and Strong Cash Reserves

Zhi Pingfang claims it has enough cash on hand to last 10 years. Jia Peng and Wang Kai (former Li Auto executives) co-founded Zhijian Power, which raised $50 million in its initial funding round.

Strategic Foundation: Extending Automotive Intelligence to Embodied Intelligence

These executives are bringing their automotive industry expertise—including mass-production experience with deep learning and a hardware-software integrated philosophy—into the robotics sector, accelerating technology deployment and real-world scenario validation.