This 22-Year-Old SJTU PhD Is Building Flapping Wing Robots — and Sequoia Just Backed Him

Yingkong Zhivi, founded by four Shanghai Jiao Tong University PhD students, raised tens of millions of RMB in a Pre-A round led by Yuanhe Origin.

The startup has now completed three financings, with earlier backing from Qiji Camp, Qigao Capital, and Hanyuan Assets.

It is building flapping-wing robots for consumer and industrial use, alongside a simulation training platform called Vortrix.

The funding highlights interest in a rare drone design that could offer better endurance, lower noise, improved safety, and better wildlife compatibility than rotor-based drones.