AI Video Startup Avolution.ai Will Be Acquired by MiniMax
Exclusive information obtained from multiple insiders reveals that the AI video startup ‘Avolution.ai’ will be acquired by MiniMax. The two parties have already finalized the acquisition intention, and the related process is still ongoing. As of the time of publication, MiniMax has not yet responded.
In 2024, when Avolution.ai was in angel investing stage, its valuation did not exceed $20 million USD, approximately around 100 million RMB.
Insiders said that since last year, Avolution.ai has been continuously seeking a second round of financing but it has not been smooth. The team itself has some experience in the field of AI video technology and ultimately chose to cooperate with MiniMax for mutual benefit.
Avolution.ai was founded in September 2023, positioning itself as an AI video creation platform using self-developed LCM-based visual models. In August 2024, Avolution.ai completed angel investing with participation from LanchiVC and Redpoint China Ventures.
In July 2024, Avolution.ai launched a two-dimensional anime AI video generation platform called YoYo. Users can input text descriptions or images to quickly generate high-quality anime content.
The founding team of Avolution.ai are all graduates from prestigious schools. CEO and founder Dr. Huang Zhaoyang graduated from the Hong Kong Chinese University with a degree in Electronic Engineering and obtained master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Zhejiang University. Before starting the business, he worked at SenseTime, NVIDIA, and Siemens. COO/CFO Li Qian holds a Master’s degree in Financial Policy from the University of Chicago and has worked at GP Capital, China Galaxy Securities, and Baidu Finance. CTO Wang Chaoqi holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Chicago and previously worked at Google Brain Research Institute.
The acquisition of Avolution.ai has provided important support for MiniMax’s layout in the field of video generation models.
SEE ALSO: MiniMax Unveils Open-Source AI Models Featuring Lightning Attention for Ultra-Long Contexts
Since the launch of the video production function on Hai Luo AI under MiniMax, it has consistently ranked at the top in global traffic rankings. In a16z’s 2025 Global Top 100 Generative AI Applications list, Hai Luo Video ranks 12th, leading in domestic video AI rankings and surpassing overseas products such as Sora, Midjourney, and Runway.
At present, MiniMax is continuously making efforts in the field of video models: In September 2024, MiniMax released its first AI high-definition video generation model Abab-video-1; In December 2024, it once again released the image-to-video model I2V-01-Live, which specifically optimized for anime effects. In mid-January 2025, MiniMax launched the S2V model with subject reference support. In March, global rollout of lens control function.
Next, with open source and continuous technological advancements, competition in the field of AI video will become even more intense.
