As reported by 36Kr, on January 6, 2026, AI hardware startup liko.ai revealed that it had successfully wrapped up its inaugural funding round. This financing endeavor drew collective support from a range of industrial and financial investors, namely Sensetime Guoxiang Capital, Oriental Fortune Capital, iFLYTEK Venture Capital, Hongtai Fund, Zhengxuan Investment, and Minbimax. Lightsource Capital played a pivotal role as both the incubator and the sole financial advisor. The bulk of the funds raised will be channeled into the R&D of on-device visual language models, AI-centric hardware, and versatile home multimodal terminals. This strategic move is set to expedite the deployment of a novel smart home ecosystem tailored for the age of large-scale AI models. liko.ai is on a mission to pioneer a cutting-edge home computing hub and a comprehensive smart home solution. Leveraging its AI Home Center and AI-driven cameras, which are outfitted with NPUs (Neural Processing Units) and on-device models, the company is poised to revolutionize conventional home visual systems and IoT interactions. Its vision is to construct an AI butler system that not only comprehends and safeguards users but also resonates with their emotions, thereby steering the course of the new smart home landscape.