HiDream.ai, a Chinese generative AI company, raised RMB 1.5bn (about $221m) in a Series C, 36Kr reported on 23 July 2026. The company's own press release followed on 27 July. The National Social Security Fund Sichuan Revitalization Sci-Tech Innovation Fund, ICBC Capital, Hongyi Asset Management and Dunhong Capital co-led the round.
It was the company's third round in nearly three months. Together the rounds raised more than RMB 2.1bn, and the company says it has reached unicorn status. No valuation was disclosed.
“We believe the evolution from multimodal AI to native omni-modal world models is an essential path toward AGI.”Mei Tao, founder and CEO, HiDream.ai
Who invested
New investors include Xiamen ITG Capital, a Shanghai film fund, Hubei Yangtze River Industry Investment Group, Huace Film & TV, Hangyuan Capital, Chuangyunhai Capital, Huafu Investment, Yuhang Financial Holding and Bank of Communications Capital, according to the press release.
Existing shareholders that continued include Hefei Industrial Investment, Fortune Capital, Caixin Capital, Jinhua Capital and Zhongzhe Capital. Hefei Industrial Investment has backed the company in three consecutive rounds. The company did not state earlier round sizes individually.
What HiDream.ai builds
The company develops a self-built family of HiDream generative models. Its HiDream-O1 series is a native omni-modal model series built on an original architecture called the Unified Transformer. The press release said the open-source version ranked first globally on the Artificial Analysis text-to-image leaderboard and the closed-source version ranked in the global top three.
Its products follow what it calls a 1+1+3 framework: one foundation model, one platform for standardised model output called Token Hub, and three application areas, which are commercial marketing, film and entertainment production, and content creation. It also launched vivago R1, a creative agent for long-form video, at WAIC 2026.
Users and plans
HiDream.ai said its products serve users in more than 100 countries and regions, with more than 50 million professional users and more than 40,000 enterprise customers. These are the company's figures. It lists partnerships with Shanghai Film and Huace Film & TV on content production.
The funds will go towards developing native omni-modal world models and expanding the product and commercial ecosystem. Headcount was not disclosed.
Partnerships and ambitions
The press release said HiDream.ai is working with Shanghai Film on next-generation content production, cinema upgrades and AI cross-screen marketing, and with Huace Film & TV on AI agent-assisted content creation, premium co-productions and full-chain IP development. It also cited earlier cooperation with Hubei Yangtze River Film Group.
Mei Tao, the founder and chief executive, said the company believes the move from multimodal AI to native omni-modal world models is an essential path toward artificial general intelligence. The company's long-term plan is to move from multimodal to omni-modal AI and then to world models that can understand, reason about and construct dynamic environments.
KrASIA's deal roundup described HiDream.ai as a generative AI company building foundation models and agents for content creation, marketing and film and entertainment production, and gave the round as about $221.4m at an estimated rate of RMB 6.77 to the dollar.
Company website: hidream.ai