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Meet Peng Zhihui, the latest young robotics star to catch the Chinese premier’s attention
The founder of AgiBot joins a new generation of tech entrepreneurs who have gained recognition from China’s top leadership
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Peng Zhihui, founder of humanoid robot start-up AgiBot and a former “genius recruit” at Huawei Technologies, has become the latest young tech entrepreneur to attend a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who called for the private sector to remain resilient amid external challenges.
Born in 1993, Peng was among seven industry representatives who took part in the symposium in Beijing on Wednesday, according to the state news agency Xinhua.
As the youngest member of the group – which included economists and executives from sectors such as shipping, machinery and cross-border logistics – Peng represents a new generation of prominent tech start-up founders who have gained recognition from the country’s top leadership.
Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, joined a symposium with the premier in January, a week before his firm’s open-source models captured global attention. In February, he participated in a high-profile symposium with President Xi Jinping, alongside Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing.
While these meetings do not directly translate to business support, they often symbolise endorsement from the highest levels of government, paving the way for access to more resources.
Peng first gained attention by joining Huawei’s “Genius Youth” programme in 2020, where he contributed to artificial intelligence (AI) projects in the company’s computing division. His inventions, including an Iron Man-inspired robotic arm, went viral on Chinese social media, where he posted under the online name Zhihuijun.
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