The Yuelu Conference 2026 brought artificial intelligence companies, robotics developers, researchers and investors to Changsha, Hunan Province, on September 23–24, 2026.
Held under the theme “Intelligence Converges in Hunan, Empowering the Future,” the Changsha AI conference featured an opening ceremony, ten “AI+” forums and an innovation exhibition covering technologies ranging from semiconductors and computing infrastructure to humanoid robots and digital healthcare.
One of its most significant announcements was the formal unveiling of a future industries investment fund with an initial scale of RMB 3 billion and a target size of RMB 10 billion.
Yuelu Conference 2026 at a Glance
- Dates: September 23–24, 2026
- Location: World Computing · Changsha Smart Valley, Changsha
- Theme: “Intelligence Converges in Hunan, Empowering the Future”
- Program: Opening ceremony, ten “AI+” forums and an innovation exhibition
- Fund announced: RMB 3 billion initial scale and RMB 10 billion target
- Priority industries: Artificial intelligence, life engineering, quantum technology and advanced materials
RMB 10 Billion Future Industries Fund Plan
The Hunan Jinfurong Dachen Future Industries Fund was formally presented during the conference’s opening ceremony.
The fund has an initial scale of RMB 3 billion and is expected to reach a total target size of RMB 10 billion. It will operate for 11 years and focus on four strategic fields:
- Artificial intelligence
- Life engineering and related biotechnology
- Quantum technology
- Advanced and frontier materials
Its investment strategy emphasizes early-stage companies, smaller technology businesses, long-term capital and hard-technology projects. The fund is expected to target innovative companies in their startup and growth stages.
It uses a dual-general-partner management structure involving Hunan Caixin Industrial Fund Management Co., Ltd. and Fortune Capital. Its operating base is in Xiangjiang Fund Town in Hunan Xiangjiang New Area.
Official provincial reporting indicates that the fund had already landed in Xiangjiang New Area on September 9. Therefore, the Yuelu Conference announcement is more accurately described as its formal launch or public unveiling, rather than the fund’s original establishment.
No public application procedure, investment timetable or eligibility rules for overseas companies had been released at the time of publication.
AI and Humanoid Robotics Leaders Address the Conference
Speakers at the opening ceremony included Cyril Xinyi Han, CEO of Ant Group; Chen Li, co-founder of Unitree Robotics; Xiong Youjun, general manager of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center; Zeng Guang, general manager of Zoomlion Cloud Valley; and Deng Wenping, chairman of SpeedBot Robotics.
Their presentations examined artificial intelligence trends, the commercialization of humanoid robots, industrial internet applications and the deployment of embodied intelligence in factories and other physical environments.
The focus on industrial robotics reflects a wider trend across Chinese manufacturing events. At the World Power Battery Conference 2026, companies also demonstrated humanoid robots and intelligent manufacturing technologies for battery-production environments.
Exhibition Covers the Full AI Technology Chain
The “AI+ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Exhibition” was organized around three technological foundations: models, data and hardware.
Exhibitors presented technologies and applications across:
- AI chips and computing infrastructure
- Large language and industry-specific models
- Embodied intelligence and humanoid robotics
- Intelligent manufacturing
- Autonomous-driving systems
- Digital healthcare
- Industrial software and data services
The exhibition gave visitors an overview of Hunan’s developing AI ecosystem, while the ten specialist forums explored how artificial intelligence can be integrated with manufacturing, healthcare, education and other industries.
Demand for higher-performance AI infrastructure is also reshaping the semiconductor and data-storage sectors. The Global Memory Innovation Forum 2026 in Shenzhen examined how memory, storage and computing technologies are evolving to support AI workloads.
Hunan Expands Its Artificial Intelligence Industry
According to official figures reported around the conference, Hunan’s artificial intelligence industry reached approximately RMB 85 billion in 2025. The province was home to more than 300 key AI enterprises and reported total computing capacity of about 13,500 petaflops, including approximately 5,200 petaflops of intelligent computing capacity.
Hunan had also developed 23 provincial-level large models, while 12 generative-AI services had completed national registration procedures.
These figures help explain why Changsha is positioning the Yuelu Conference as both an industry forum and an investment platform. The combination of university research, manufacturing demand, computing resources and government-supported capital could provide opportunities for AI developers, robotics companies and hard-technology startups.
What International Companies Should Watch
For overseas companies, the most relevant opportunities are likely to emerge in AI hardware, industrial software, robotics components, advanced materials and joint research projects.
However, the organizers did not publish a complete list of signed projects, their combined investment value or a dedicated international business-matching program. Companies considering participation or investment should verify partnership and fund-access requirements directly with the relevant organizers or investment managers.
The conference was jointly organized by the Changsha Municipal People’s Government, Hunan Xiangjiang New Area and several provincial authorities, with academic support from institutions including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Central South University and Hunan University.
