Gasgoo has learned that the race for embodied intelligence has a new contender. In April, Chen Wei, Li Auto's former chief AI scientist, and Zhang Xiao, the automaker's ex-head of product line two, teamed up to launch Xieyue Intelligence. The startup has already closed its first funding round, backed by Li Auto and V Capital, and is currently finalizing business registration changes.
Image Source: Tianyancha
Records show Xieyue Intelligence was established in February 2026 with three entities across Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. Zhang Xiao serves as the legal representative for all three, each with a registered capital of 1 million yuan.
The core team has clearly defined roles: Chen Wei acts as chairman and CTO, while Zhang Xiao serves as CEO.Chen Wei holds a Ph.D. in signal and information processing from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. After nearly a decade at Sogou, he joined Li Auto to spearhead the development of in-vehicle large models like MindGPT and MindVLA, focusing on foundation models and on-device intelligence. Zhang Xiao, an early core member of Li Auto, drove the product definition for the Li L9 and other hits, specializing in identifying consumer needs and building products for family scenarios. Just two months in, Xieyue Intelligence has assembled a team of nearly 20 people with operations in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. The company is recruiting talent in areas such as robot motion control, multimodal perception, and human-computer interaction. Unlike many players in the embodied intelligence space targeting industrial applications, Xieyue is clearly focused on home scenarios, aiming to build consumer-grade embodied intelligence products. On the capital front, Xieyue marks another instance of Li Auto investing in a venture founded by former employees; the automaker previously backed a company established by its former president, Shen Yanan. Analysts suggest this investment reflects a dual strategy: supporting key alumni while aligning with Li Auto's own ambitions in embodied intelligence and its broader smart terminal ecosystem.
As embodied intelligence for home scenarios heats up, Xieyue Intelligence is poised to become a significant player in the field, backed by a strong technical and product team as well as capital support. Its upcoming product launches and market performance will be worth watching closely.
