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Zelos Technology

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

Zelos Technology (九识智能) is a Chinese autonomous driving company that develops and operates the world's largest fleet of L4 RoboVans for urban logistics and delivery. Zelos Technology was founded in 2021. The company is led by Kong Qi (孔旗). Based in Suzhou, China. Team size: 500+. Total funding raised: $900M. Latest round: Series C. Key investors include Ant Group, Meituan, Blue Lake Capital, CDH BAIFU / CDH Investments, BV Baidu Ventures, Asia Investment Capital, Unicorn, Xianting Fund, Suodao Fund.

Founded
2021
Headquarters
Suzhou, China
Team size
500+
Total funding
$900M

Value proposition

Full-stack in-house L4 autonomous driving technology for urban logistics, delivering a 50-66% reduction in operational costs through purpose-built RoboVans that operate without safety drivers on open roads.

Products and solutions

Z5 RoboVan (mass-produced L4 urban delivery vehicle, 5+ cubic meters cargo), Z5 Cold-Chain, Z5 Multi-Locker, Z10 RoboVan, Z10 Cold-Chain, E6 (lightweight cargo), L Series (heavy hauler, 1.8+ tonnes payload), ZOE 2.0 autonomous driving architecture (end-to-end, 35ms response time)

Unique value

World's largest RoboVan fleet (25,000+ vehicles deployed), first to mass-produce L4 autonomous delivery vehicles for urban motorways, map-free Occupancy Network technology, and 76% market share in RoboVan vehicle sales.

Target customer

B2B logistics companies, e-commerce platforms, postal services, retail chains, pharmaceutical distributors, industrial parks, and municipal services (sanitation, security, firefighting)

Industries served

Urban logistics & delivery, FMCG distribution, pharmaceutical logistics, industrial park logistics, intralogistics, agricultural logistics, retail replenishment, business park logistics, hospitality logistics, municipal services (sanitation, security patrol, firefighting)

Technology advantage

Full-stack in-house L4 autonomous driving technology including unified end-to-end ZOE 2.0 architecture, map-free Occupancy Network for navigation without HD maps, 360° surround perception with millimeter-level precision, dual OrinX computing platform (508 TOPS) with <100W power consumption, 35ms end-to-end model inference, and automotive-grade solid-state LiDAR integration.

How they differentiate

Full-stack in-house R&D from vehicle engineering to autonomous driving software; first to apply automotive-grade solid-state LiDAR in L4 products; map-free autonomous driving (Occupancy Network); ultra-low power consumption (<100W L4 computing unit); 35ms end-to-end model inference; turnkey vehicle sales + full lifecycle O&M model.

Main competitors

Neolix (新石器), QCraft, UISEE Technology (驭势科技)

Key partnerships

Alibaba/Cainiao (strategic integration, $2B joint venture), Ant Group (investor), Meituan (investor), Baidu Ventures (investor), Blue Lake Capital (lead investor), CDH BAIFU (investor), Hesai (LiDAR supplier), FairPrice Singapore, DHL, China Post (7,000 vehicle order), Sinopharm CMDC, Giti Tire

Notable customers

China Post, Sinopharm CMDC, FairPrice Singapore, DHL, New Hope Group, Giti Tire

Major milestones

2021: Company founded by Kong Qi (ex-Baidu, ex-JD.com autonomous driving), 2022: Angel round led by Blue Lake Capital, 2023: Z5 mass production launched, first L4 urban delivery mass-produced vehicle, 2024: Series A ($100M led by Meituan), Z-Series platform unveiled (4 models), deployed 1,000+ vehicles across 130 cities, 2025: Series B total reaches $400M, Ant Group leads B4, China Post orders 7,000 vehicles, DHL Fast Forward Challenge global champion, 2026: $300M+ Series C, Cainiao/Alibaba strategic integration ($2B joint venture), valuation exceeds RMB 10B ($1.4B), 25,000+ RoboVans deployed, IPO filing for Hong Kong listing targeting $600M

Growth metrics

25,000+ RoboVans deployed; 350+ cities served; 20+ countries; 150M+ autonomous kilometers logged; 1B+ deliveries completed; 76% market share in RoboVan sales; 66% average reduction in operational costs for customers; 10x annual fleet growth (200 in 2023 → 2,000 in 2024 → 25,000+ by early 2026)

Market positioning

Market leader in L4 autonomous urban delivery vehicles with >76% market share in RoboVan sales in China. Positioned as the world's largest RoboVan enterprise, competing globally in the autonomous logistics space.

Geographic focus

China (300+ cities), Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, UAE/Middle East, Europe, North Africa

Patents and IP

Full-stack proprietary L4 autonomous driving technology including ZOE 2.0 end-to-end architecture, Occupancy Network (map-free navigation), 360° surround perception with millimeter-level precision, dual OrinX computing platform (508 TOPS)

About Kong Qi (孔旗)

Ex-Baidu (early founding member of Baidu's autonomous driving team, chief architect of Baidu's self-driving vehicle); Ex-JD.com (Vice President, Chief Scientist of Autonomous Driving, led JD.com's autonomous driving team). M.S. & B.S. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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