GLM Hits a Trillion, Will DeepSeek Be Far Behind?
Zhipu AI, a Chinese AI company, has reached a market capitalization exceeding HK$1 trillion, with its stock rising over 1900% this year. Its valuation now rivals half of Alibaba's, highlighting intense market speculation around Chinese AI firms. Despite 2025 revenues of only ¥7.24 billion and a net loss of ¥47.18 billion, investors are pricing in massive future growth, driven by its GLM-5.2 model and its positioning as China's potential answer to Anthropic.
The surge reflects a broader trend: soaring valuations for AI companies across primary and secondary markets. DeepSeek's latest funding round valued it over $50 billion, while other players like MiniMax and StepFun are also targeting listings. This capital influx is concentrated in hard tech and AI within Hong Kong's IPO market.
However, concerns about a bubble are mounting. Zhipu's high valuation, volatile trading, and impending share lock-up expiries pose near-term risks. The core challenge for Zhipu and its peers is transforming advanced model capabilities into sustainable revenue and profit, following the path of Anthropic which is nearing operational profitability. The trillion-HK dollar mark for Zhipu represents a symbolic peak for China's AI industry, but its permanence hinges on demonstrable commercial success.
marsbit06/22 23:23
