Jiushao Intelligence raises nearly $14M for AI-native industrial design platform
What's the deal? Jiushao Intelligence, a Chinese industrial software company spun out of the University of Science and Technology of China, has closed a funding round of nearly 100 million yuan (roughly $14M). The round was backed by Chuanggu Capital (under Anhui Provincial Investment Group), Shanghai Xuhui Kechuang Investment, Huineng Fund, and Guoruiyuan Fund. The capital will fuel development of its proprietary CAD kernel and accelerate commercialisation of its AI-native design platform.
Why now? Most Chinese industrial software makers are stuck in a "replace foreign tools" mindset, but Jiushao is betting on a structural shift: the convergence of AI agents and computer-aided design. Its self-developed geometric kernel, AMCAX, handles complex surface modelling and reverse engineering at what it calls an internationally competitive level — critical for aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding.
The company's key technical breakthrough is HistCAD, a proprietary format that converts static CAD geometry into dynamic, token-based modelling sequences. This turns 3D models from opaque files into data that large language models can understand, reason about, and generate — bridging the gap between AI and real engineering constraints.
What could go wrong? Jiushao is competing against entrenched global players like Dassault Systèmes, Siemens, and PTC, whose kernels have decades of refinement. Convincing large manufacturers to trust a young domestic kernel for mission-critical design work remains a steep hill. The company's cross-platform strategy — letting its AI agent plug into third-party CAD tools — is ambitious but depends on those tools exposing adequate APIs.
Commercialisation timelines are tight: Jiushao aims to have its POWER platform ready for full commercial delivery by end of 2026.
The signal: This deal reflects two converging trends in Chinese industrial tech. First, Beijing's push for self-reliant core technologies is funnelling state-linked capital into foundational software layers like geometric kernels — areas long dominated by Western vendors. Second, the "AI agent" wave is reaching industrial software, where the prize isn't chatbot wrappers but autonomous design systems that can plan, execute, and self-correct complex modelling tasks.
Jiushao's approach — owning the kernel, defining an AI-native data format, and building an open developer platform — mirrors the full-stack playbook that has worked in other software verticals. If it can deliver on its technical promises, it could shift China's industrial software narrative from catching up to setting standards.
Read more: 36kr.com
