Jia Jiaya, former executive director of Tencent YouTu X-Lab and a tenured professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, has founded a new AI startup, local media outlet Latepost reported on Thursday.
The new company, named SmartMore, focuses on industrial inspection and high-definition video, and has already completed pre-Series A financing. It has established research centers in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as well as a business representative office in Shanghai, 36Kr reported after speaking with Jia.
Jia, who is now focusing on his work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, has put the current management of SmartMore’s business in the hands of former student Shen Xiaoyong. Most of the founding members of the startup are also from the YouTu X-Lab, a Tencent R&D team which uses data from the internet giant’s social media platforms to conduct research into image processing, pattern recognition, and deep learning.
Jia joined Tencent in May 2017 as a distinguished scientist and founding executive director of Tencent YouTu X-Lab. He left the company in January, as reported by Sina Tech News, citing people inside Tencent.
36Kr is KrASIA’s parent company.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.