SenseTime shares plunge after death of China AI firm’s co-founder

Hong Kong – SenseTime Group shares plunged by their most in more than a year after the company co-founder’s surprise death spooked investors already grappling with the fallout from slowing growth and United States sanctions.

Shares of the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firm slid as much as 18 per cent in Hong Kong on Dec 18, the biggest loss since July 2022.

SenseTime disclosed that co-founder and major shareholder Tang Xiao’ou died on Dec 15 after an illness.

Born in 1968, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate and Hong Kong professor was regarded as a pioneer in China’s AI sector, helping to create one of the nation’s leaders in computer vision.

His company, earlier backed by Alibaba Group Holding, listed in Hong Kong in

one of the most highly anticipated debuts of 2021.

Professor Tang had a 21 per cent stake in SenseTime, according to the firm’s 2022 annual report. His net worth last stood at US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion), the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows.

The firm’s growth, however, has slowed dramatically in the face of rapidly intensifying competition.

The US government

blacklisted the company in 2019

on allegations related to human rights violations in Xinjiang. That restricted its access to capital and crucial US tech components, and this was compounded in recent months by new curbs on the sale of advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment to Chinese firms.

The company’s shares had fallen in recent weeks after short-seller Grizzly Research accused the firm of inflating revenues, which SenseTime has denied.

Before Dec 18, the stock traded at HK$1.26 – less than a third of its listing price.

The stock regained some of its losses in the morning, and closed on Dec 18 down 11.1 per cent at HK$1.12.

SenseTime’s focus in 2023 turned from its traditional strengths in facial recognition to generative AI. It was among the first Chinese tech firms to

receive government approval to publicly roll out ChatGPT-like services.

China’s AI arena has experienced an influx of capital and talent. But the rivalry is fierce as start-ups and big companies from Baidu to SenseTime compete to develop their own solutions.

SenseTime was considering raising funds and carving out its autonomous driving and healthcare units, Bloomberg News reported in December.

In its statement, SenseTime did not specify Prof Tang’s illness.

“The spirit and achievements of Prof Tang will live on. The directors and all employees of the company are committed to completing his mission, never forgetting the company’s original aspiration, and forging ahead,” it said. BLOOMBERG