Redazione RHC : 25 October 2025 15:45
Chinese startup Neolix , specializing in Level 4 autonomous vehicles for urban deliveries, announced on October 23 that it has closed a Series D round of over $600 million , marking the largest private investment in China’s autonomous driving sector and one of the largest in 2025.
The funding was led by Emirati firm StoneVenture , with participation from Gaocheng Investment , Xinchen Capital (a subsidiary of CITIC Capital), CDH VGC , Chaoxi Capital , Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund , and a major Chinese internet company.
According to founder and CEO Yu Enyuan , the funds will be used to develop algorithms, new technologies, and expand the service network to meet the growing demand for autonomous delivery services, both in China and abroad.
Since the beginning of 2025, the autonomous urban logistics sector, L4 (RoboVan), has attracted over RMB 4 billion in funding. Notable deals include Neolix’s RMB 1 billion Series C+ round in February, Jiushi Intelligent ‘s $400 million raised last week, and White Rhino ‘s RMB 500 million round in August.
The capital push stems from the technological maturity the sector has reached. Companies have now demonstrated that autonomous vehicles can significantly reduce logistics costs and improve efficiency. “Since 2022,” Yu explained, “we’ve been working with major delivery companies, and by the end of 2024, our customers had seen cost reductions of up to two-thirds.”
Industry data confirms this trend. ZTO Express has surpassed 1,800 autonomous units in its fleet, SF Express has reached the same number, while China Post has completed a 7,000-vehicle leasing project.
According to a report by iResearch (“2025 China L4 Intelligent Driving Scenario Commercial Development Insight Report”), the introduction of autonomous vehicles can reduce operating costs by 19% by simplifying processes and reducing the number of vehicles and personnel required.
At the same time, manufacturers are working to reduce the cost of the vehicles themselves. Yu Enyuan said that Neolix has managed to reduce the price per unit to less than 100,000 yuan , with a production capacity of more than 10,000 vehicles per year .
Another company in the industry has introduced a hybrid hardware + software subscription sales model, bringing the overall cost to around 50,000 yuan per vehicle.
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