Three young entrepreneurs, Niu Tenghao, Ding Tian, and Ji Pan, shared how their companies are pushing the frontiers of artificial intelligence at the 5th Shanghai Global Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, held in Xuhui district on May 19.

Humanoid robots take the stage

Niu Tenghao, CEO of Shanghai-based tech startup Cyan, brought an independently developed humanoid robot, Orca I, to the event. This is the same model that participated in the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing.

Designed for agility and natural interaction, Orca I can perform advanced maneuvers such as climbing, spinning, and recovering autonomously after a fall.

Building AI with spatial awareness

Before founding Vertex Lab, Ji Pan noticed that large language models lack strong 3D perception and reasoning abilities. Spatial intelligence, however, is crucial not only for gaming and film but also for autonomous driving and smart city management.

This observation led Ji to found Vertex Lab, aiming to equip AI with 3D awareness so that embodied devices can perceive and move through space autonomously, without human control.

Today, the company's "3D+AI" models power consumer tools, and its 3D modeling marketplace helps creators generate content more efficiently.

Redefining data analysis

Ding Tian, born in 2000, founded Digit Master, a startup developing AI systems that combine data from texts, images, and other sources to deliver deeper business insights. Its tools are already being applied in sectors such as advertising, media, and commercial real estate.

Unlike general-purpose large models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, Digit Master creates AI applications tailored to enterprise needs. Its systems can integrate with different foundation models and enable collaboration among multiple AI agents.

AI rises in Xuhui

This year's competition attracted over 320 talent projects from more than 10 countries, with half of the 32 finalists focused on AI, covering fields such as healthcare, industry, energy, and design.

Xuhui is now home to more than 1,000 AI enterprises, including nearly 400 related to large models. Forty-three large models have been registered in the district, accounting for 61 percent of Shanghai's total.

Source: Shanghai Observer