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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Technology
Stephanie Cruz

Johns Hopkins Gamer Built A $1 Billion AI Startup At 29 — Reached 20 Million Users In Just 3 Years

VAST Johns Hopkins Beijing Minimax NetEase
Vast CEO Simon Song built his AI startup from a passion for gaming and animation into a billion-dollar company in less than three years. (Credit: LI/Simon Song)

A three-year-old Beijing startup that turns text prompts into production-grade 3D models has crossed the billion-dollar valuation mark. Vast, founded in 2023 by 29-year-old Simon Song, raised nearly $200 million (£158 million) in its latest funding round.

Ince Capital and a venture arm of China Life Insurance Co. led the round, with Genesis Capital, Eminence Ventures and Primavera Venture Partners joining. Vast would not share its exact valuation but confirmed it now exceeds $1 billion (£790 million), placing it among China's growing cohort of AI unicorns.

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