Ex-DJI engineers raise 10M CNY for AI tennis robots, begin overseas mass delivery
What's the deal? Chinese intelligent sports hardware startup AceiiLab has raised over 10 million CNY (≈$1.5 million) in an angel round from Zero One CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Variable CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Hyee CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The company is also starting mass delivery of its first product, having launched in overseas markets.
What does it do? Founded in December 2024, AceiiLab makes AI tennis robots and aims to build a training ecosystem spanning hardware, software, data, AI coaches, and sports services. Its funds will go toward product research and market expansion.
Who's behind it? Founder Liu Liqian has more than 10 years in robotics R&D, with prior stints at DJI and KUKADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Co-founder Chao Guang came from investment institutions and robotics companies; the wider team spans drones, autonomous vehicles, and cleaning robots.
What's the product? The AceiiLab A1 rethinks the traditional serving machine. Rather than fixed-point serving, it uses a self-developed binocular vision system to track the ball, players, and trajectory in real time, moving on a differential-speed chassis at up to 5m/s to simulate real rallies.
The thinking: AceiiLab deliberately separates serving from returning. "We think returning and serving should be handled as two separate issues," co-founder Chao Guang told 36Kr, arguing that adding return capability would disrupt training rhythm and raise both computing costs and prices for users.
Why now? As AI, robotics, and sensor technology mature, sports hardware is shifting from recording data to actively assisting training. Sports with high technical thresholds and repetitive drills — tennis, badminton, golf — have become key targets for that shift.
The signal: AceiiLab is betting that intelligent sports hardware is an incremental market rather than a replacement one. Its overseas-first delivery reflects a pattern among Chinese consumer-hardware teams: build robotics expertise at home, then chase demand abroad.
Read more: 36Kr
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
