Building cross-border partnerships and sourcing strategies to connect global resource suppliers with China’s fast-growing automotive, new energy, and semiconductor industries.
January 5, 2026
Meta’s lucrative acquisition of Manus has once again put the city of Wuhan in the global spotlight. Manus is an AI startup founded in Wuhan three years ago, amidst the final days of the COVID lockdown. One of its founders, Xiao Hong, is a graduate of HUST—one of the top two universities in the city, the other being Wuhan University, the alma mater of Xiaomi founder Lei Jun.
This acquisition marks the resurgence of Wuhan in the post-COVID era. True to its name, the company ‘Butterfly Effect’ has sent ripples through the global tech and investment communities. The city, too, mirrors this transformation—a butterfly finally breaking free from its cocoon.
It comes as no surprise to me that a Wuhan startup would shake the world in this manner. It is a little-known fact that, for a long time, Wuhan held the title of the city with the largest university student population in the world. But this is not just about quantity; the city is home to two premier institutions—HUST and Wuhan University—that are global leaders in AI and scientific research. Both ranked between 10th and 13th in the US News Best Global Universities for AI, placing them higher than Cambridge and Oxford.
Indeed, world-renowned Chinese tech giants like Xiaomi and WeChat were founded by alumni of these schools, while Huawei’s core technical leadership is heavily drawn from their ranks. However, prior to the pandemic, Wuhan was often viewed merely as a declining heavy industry hub, a reputation later overshadowed by its label as ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak. For years, the massive talent pipeline from Wuhan’s universities primarily nurtured other tech frontiers, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beijing. But now, this pipeline is fueling Wuhan’s own rapid ascent as a major global tech center. The pains and struggles of the last decade are finally paying off handsomely.
Amidst this optimistic atmosphere, Mr. Shi, a former colleague from my early days back in China at an American wealth management firm, invited me to visit his AI startup. His company specializes in AI Avatars, and his R&D team is largely staffed by graduates from HUST and Wuhan University—sharing the same pedigree as the team behind Manus.
Mr. Shi originally came from an R&D background in Wuhan’s once-thriving auto sector but pivoted to finance when that industry hit a bottleneck. After accumulating substantial wealth over the years, he went all-in on this startup, riding the wave of the current AI boom. The timing for starting an AI company in Wuhan is indeed perfect. Just one month after founding the company, his AI Avatars were already generating millions in EBITDA by managing live-stream sales for e-commerce firms.
Knowing my experience in consulting for tech firms and PE/VC funds in recent years, he sought my strategic advice. After a brief review, there is no doubt the company holds a cutting edge in Multimodal AI Agent technology, though its business model clearly needs refinement. It shouldn’t just be the multi-million dollar business it is today; a multi-billion dollar enterprise can be envisioned, provided the corporate strategy is aligned with the current landscape.No real persons are needed to work in the officeNo real persons are needed to work in the officePlayNo real person are needed in the office
Twenty years ago, when I watched I, Robot, I was fascinated by the hologram of Dr. Alfred Lanning speaking to Will Smith. It was science fiction then. I am amazed that this sci-fi concept has been brought to life by my friend, and I intend to contribute my expertise to refine it further. In fact, it is already superior to Dr. Lanning’s avatar; Mr. Shi’s AI Agent doesn’t hit a wall and respond with, “My responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.” You are welcome to ask anything, and powered by modern LLMs, his AI Avatar will answer accordingly.