Recently, Teacher Kaifu’s 01 Toy Company has been caught in a whirlpool of public opinion. At first, news spread on the Internet that the first large-scale model company closed down, 01 Wanwu was disbanded, and the Kahe training team was sold to Alibaba. The news is shocking. After all, Mr. Kaifu has a very high reputation in the industry, and 015,000 also enjoys a high reputation in the field of large-scale models in China. A few months ago, it topped model test scores.
However, Mr. Kaifu quickly refuted the rumors in his circle of friends, saying that in January 2024, Wanwuwu’s confirmed revenue exceeded 100 million, with more orders, and the number would increase several times in 2025. Later, he published another article. Although he was refuting rumors, he also admitted some facts. For example, 01 Wanyu will no longer provide pre-training and related services for large models, but will shift to the To B application layer.
Mr. Kaifu is the first generation Internet celebrity in the entrepreneurial circle. The content he published on Weibo and the books he wrote influenced a generation of entrepreneurs and college students. Among many well-known early entrepreneurs, Mr. Kaifu always has correct values and is admirable. Even though he has become famous, he still devotes himself to AI entrepreneurship in his 60s. This spirit deserves respect.
The road to AI entrepreneurship is extremely difficult, and Li Ziran knows this very well. When Mr. Heif worked on artificial intelligence, he did so out of belief in artificial intelligence. He believes that artificial intelligence is the greatest invention of mankind after the invention of electricity and steam engines. This is similar to Li Ziran’s point of view. They all feel that in the AI era, it is of great significance to engage in AI-related work.
When Mr. Haifu formed 01 Everything Team, the members were all young. He doesn’t trust older people much, because these people may have prejudices from the Internet era and are not adaptable to the AI era. Li Ziran also felt the same way. When he formed the AI growth team, he also chose young people around 2,000 years old. Although young people have strong learning ability, in terms of absolute ability, there is still a gap between them and their old comrades, which puts a heavy burden on the founders when starting a business. Make big decisions. Under tremendous pressure.
Teacher Kaifu’s team has made many attempts on large-scale models, but Li Ziran has never been optimistic about making large-scale models. However, considering Teacher Haifu's status and strength, it is understandable that he would make such a choice. 01 Wanwu’s attempts at To C did not go well, and now it is turning to To B enterprise service scenarios, which is very similar to the business exploration process of Li Ziran Company.
It’s normal for startups to pivot. Mr. Kaifu’s Innovation Factory initially wanted to adopt the VC model, but later quickly adjusted its direction. 01Wanwu’s transformation, although it gave up the large model business, does not mean failure. On the contrary, it may mean that it has taken off its baggage and can travel lightly.
Currently, artificial intelligence entrepreneurship faces many difficulties. On the one hand, making money is not easy. 01 The investors disclosed in Wanwu’s last round were not well-known, and there were no particularly large VCs making huge investments. On the other hand, the development of large model companies also faces difficulties. Large models are difficult to sell to large companies because large companies prefer to directly poach core talents.
However, 2025 may be the year when AI applications explode. In the past year or two, the progress of AI models has not been as fast as expected, resulting in certain restrictions on the development of AI applications. But now the rapid development of various artificial intelligence policies has provided favorable conditions for the explosion of artificial intelligence applications.
Regardless of 01's future success or failure, Teacher Kaifu is an admirable hero. His persistence and exploration on the road to AI entrepreneurship are worthy of learning and reference by every entrepreneur. I hope that Mr. Kaifu can lead 01 Everything towards a bright future, and that more entrepreneurs can find their own opportunities in the AI era. Welcome everyone to share your views and suggestions on AI entrepreneurship in the comment area!
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
Indie123
Comments
There are currently no comments