Guangzhou-based Shenhai Zhiren announced a 500 million yuan Series A financing round on August 13, according to both Pandaily and Zhidx. The company, founded in 2020, builds full-stack deep-sea robots and has been outlining a product path that mixes autonomous systems with subsea engineering tools, as described in the two reports. For readers tracking robotics funding and deployment narratives, this round surfaces a set of reported milestones across software models and hardware platforms that anchor the company’s pitch. See the original coverage in Pandaily and Zhidx for the latest disclosures.
Zhidx names new investors including Guanghe Ventures, Dachen Financial, GGV Capital, Yida Capital, China Insurance Investment, CETC Investment, and a TotalEnergies-backed energy-technology fund managed by Cathay Capital. It also reports that several existing investors followed on. Across both accounts, the funding headline and the company’s focus on deep-sea autonomy and intervention are consistent, while Zhidx provides additional granularity on product specifications and commercial activity.
Funding round and product roadmap
The two reports state that Shenhai Zhiren builds full-stack deep-sea robots, a framing that places software and hardware in one stack. Within that stack, both reports say the company introduced SEAgent 1.0 in April 2026 and describe it as an underwater multi-agent task-decision model. The descriptions tie the model to underwater contexts and decision processes, with the reports positioning it as part of a system-level approach rather than a standalone tool.
In covering Shenhai Zhiren’s announcement, Pandaily and Zhidx emphasize the same foundation date, the same Series A amount, and the same introduction timeline for SEAgent 1.0. Where additional attributions are required, the publications specify their sources, and any claim that the model represents a global first is to be understood as a company assertion, not an independently verified fact. The reporting leaves the model in clear focus as an underwater multi-agent task-decision system, with no deviation between the two accounts on that point.
EastFrontier has been following the intersection of AI models and robotics more broadly. For context on how model-centered narratives are shaping robotics startups, see our related coverage of world model activity in China. While that report surveys a different slice of the market, it provides a useful background for understanding why model announcements like SEAgent 1.0 feature prominently in funding news.
Phoenix 600 capabilities as reported
Beyond software, Zhidx reports on a hardware platform named Phoenix 600, framing it as part of the company’s deep-sea portfolio. According to Zhidx, the Phoenix 600 can operate at a 3,000-meter depth and trench up to three meters. The report further states that the unit can carry out cable-protection, connection, and maintenance work with centimeter-level accuracy. Zhidx also reports L3 intelligent operation, placing the system within a defined level of autonomy as presented in its coverage.
Zhidx adds a commercial datapoint tied to the same hardware line. It reports that Phoenix 600 won a 100 million yuan order from a UAE telecommunications group in 2025. This figure and counterparty are presented by Zhidx as part of the platform’s track record, with the publication linking the order to subsea cable-related work described in its article. The reporting does not expand the claim beyond what is stated, and no broader market assertions are made outside this specific order and capability set.
In aligning these Phoenix 600 details with the broader Series A news, the reports collectively position Shenhai Zhiren’s story along two vectors: an AI model introduced in April 2026 that is framed as an underwater multi-agent task-decision model, and a hardware platform with reported operational depth, trenching, accuracy, and autonomy characteristics. Each attribute is confined to the attributions provided. There is no claim in the coverage that this set of technologies is internationally leading, nor is there a claim that investor participation guarantees operational success.
Investor lineup and reported milestones
Zhidx’s investor list sketches a cross-sector mix, including Guanghe Ventures, Dachen Financial, GGV Capital, Yida Capital, China Insurance Investment, CETC Investment, and a TotalEnergies-backed energy-technology fund managed by Cathay Capital. The same report notes that several existing investors followed on. While Pandaily and Zhidx both agree on the financing amount and timing, Zhidx provides this more specific roster. The articles do not add further characterization beyond naming these investors, and there is no extrapolation about future performance tied to the round.
As for the company timeline, both reports state that Shenhai Zhiren was founded in 2020 and focuses on building full-stack deep-sea robots. They also state that SEAgent 1.0 was introduced in April 2026 and is described in the reports as an underwater multi-agent task-decision model. On the hardware side, the Phoenix 600’s capabilities, autonomy level, and the 2025 order cited above are all attributed to Zhidx. These data points are presented in the reporting as discrete milestones, and the coverage avoids superlatives unless noted as a company characterization.
EastFrontier has also covered funding developments across other robotics segments. For readers interested in additional Series A activity centered on AI models in robotics, see our report on humanoid-focused work. While that story addresses a different domain, it helps map how funding rounds are being framed around model introductions and platform capabilities, a pattern echoed in the way Shenhai Zhiren’s SEAgent 1.0 and Phoenix 600 are presented in the two reports.
Taken together, the Pandaily and Zhidx articles outline a consistent narrative. On August 13, Shenhai Zhiren announced a 500 million yuan Series A. The company, founded in 2020 and based in Guangzhou, is described as building full-stack deep-sea robots. Both reports say the firm introduced SEAgent 1.0 in April 2026 and describe it as an underwater multi-agent task-decision model.
Zhidx adds that Phoenix 600 can operate at a 3,000-meter depth, trench up to three meters, and perform cable-related tasks with centimeter-level accuracy, and it reports L3 intelligent operation. Zhidx further reports a 100 million yuan order in 2025 from a UAE telecommunications group tied to that platform. Zhidx names new investors, including Guanghe Ventures, Dachen Financial, GGV Capital, Yida Capital, China Insurance Investment, CETC Investment, and a TotalEnergies-backed energy-technology fund managed by Cathay Capital, and states that several existing investors followed on.
No claims beyond the published reports are included here. Any language that might otherwise suggest a global first or a broader market ranking is to be understood, where it appears in the underlying articles, as a claim attributed to the company. Readers can consult the original reporting in Pandaily and Zhidx for the complete context around the financing, the SEAgent 1.0 model, and the Phoenix 600 platform.