What Zhike Automation does

Zhike Automation (广州智科自动化技术有限公司), founded in 2023 and headquartered in Guangzhou Nansha, China, develops integrated metal additive-subtractive hybrid manufacturing equipment and CAM software for industrial customers in aerospace, military/defense, high-end mold manufacturing, and electronics production. The company is a spin-off of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and HKUST(Guangzhou), incubated at the HKUST(GZ) FytECH Innovation Base. It is led by Chief Scientist Professor Tang Kai—a Changjiang Scholar and Director of Intelligent Manufacturing at HKUST(GZ) with 30+ years of CAD/CAM research and prior US industry experience—together with co-founders CEO Chen Yuanzhi, COO Zhang Wenze, and CTO Deng Xiaoke, all PhD researchers from Professor Tang's group.

The company's technology combines metal 3D printing via Directed Energy Deposition (DED), five-axis precision milling, and intelligent inspection within unified hardware platforms. The product portfolio includes three hardware systems—the HM-M5H-100S multi-axis hybrid manufacturing center (configurable from 100mm build volumes up to 1500x1500x800mm titanium alloy parts), the AM-M3R-830C large-format laser cladding system for roller components, and an additive-subtractive robotic manufacturing system with integrated 3D printing, machining, and online inspection—and two proprietary software products: 混元精工 (Hunyuan Precision / HybridCAM), a full-process CAM platform covering design, process planning, simulation, and quality closed-loop control, and 辊刀大师 (Roll Blade Master), specialized software for PCB and mask roller blade toolpath generation. The intellectual property base comprises seven filed invention patents and three software copyrights spanning alternating additive-subtractive planning, five-axis support-free printing, and melt pool monitoring.

Zhike Automation generates revenue through three streams: one-time equipment sales, software licensing (bundled with hardware or sold independently), and contract manufacturing services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company reported over 7 million RMB in cumulative orders and delivered its first batch of products to 3C manufacturing customers in November 2024, with claimed 70% material cost reduction and 90% machining time reduction in roll blade applications. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by industry trade shows (TCT Asia 2026), earned media (People's Daily coverage, 2025), and competition-driven visibility. The company has raised approximately $3.5M USD across a 15M RMB angel round (April 2025) and a $1.39M Red Bird Qihang Fund-led round (June 2025).

Name

Zhike Automation

Legal name

广州智科自动化技术有限公司

Website

https://zicus.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Guangzhou-based Zhike Automation develops integrated metal additive-subtractive hybrid manufacturing systems and proprietary CAM software for aerospace, mold-making, electronics, and military customers. Founded in 2023 as an HKUST(GZ) spin-off, the company sells DED-capable hardware and software to enterprise manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales (Hardware): Sale of hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing equipment including HM-M5H-100S multi-axis hybrid manufacturing centers and AM-M3R-830C laser cladding systems. Equipment is sold with bundled proprietary CAM software (HybridCAM).
2. Software Licensing: Proprietary software solutions including HybridCAM and specialized applications like 辊刀大师 (Roll Blade Master) sold alongside hardware or independently.
3. Contract Manufacturing Services: Parts manufacturing, repair, reinforcement and科教实验 (educational/scientific experiment) services using proprietary equipment. Company has received 7M+ RMB in orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zhike Automation designs, manufactures, and sells integrated metal additive-subtractive hybrid manufacturing systems, including multi-axis DED (Directed Energy Deposition) hybrid machines, laser cladding systems, and robotic hybrid manufacturing platforms. The company also develops proprietary CAM software (HybridCAM and 辊刀大师/Roll Blade Master) and provides contract manufacturing services for aerospace, defense, mold-making, and electronics production-line customers.

Product overview

Zhike Automation (广州智科自动化技术有限公司) offers an integrated portfolio of hardware systems and CAM software for hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing. The core hardware includes three main systems: (1) HM-M5H-100S — a multi-axis metal DED (Directed Energy Deposition) hybrid machine supporting 100mm to 1500mm build sizes, marketed for R&D and educational use; (2) AM-M3R-830C — a specialized large-format roller cladding system with DED technology for surface coating applications; and (3) an add-subtract hybrid robotic system integrating 3D printing, precision 5-axis machining, and in-process quality inspection on a single platform. Complementing the hardware are two software products: '混元精工' (Hunyuan Precision) — a full-process metal hybrid manufacturing software solution covering design, process planning, simulation, and quality control; and '辊刀大师' (Roller Blade Master) — specialized software for blade knife printing with DXF parsing, path generation, and roller-die specific algorithms. The company also provides contract manufacturing services (OEM/ODM).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 混元精工: Full-process metal additive-subtractive manufacturing software solution integrating design & modeling, intelligent process planning & simulation, collaborative manufacturing execution, and full-process quality closed-loop control.

Products and services

• HM-M5H-100S Multi-axis Hybrid Manufacturing System Multi-axis metal DED (Directed Energy Deposition) hybrid manufacturing system with 5-axis CNC machining capability. Available in multiple build sizes (100x100x100 mm, 250x250x250 mm, up to 1500x1500x800 mm for high-configuration titanium alloy parts). Features HybridCAM software, MLT AI80 CNC system, 200-2000W laser power, and closed-loop powder feeding. Marketed for university R&D and educational use.
• AM-M3R-830C Laser Cladding System Large-format laser cladding system for roller components and cylindrical parts, with X830mm x Z210mm travel, DED technology, 150-200°C online heating, closed-loop powder feeding, and MLTAI500 CNC system. Targeted at roll coating and surface hardening applications for roll blade production lines.
• Additive-Subtractive Hybrid Robotic Manufacturing System Integrated robotic hybrid manufacturing system combining metal 3D printing (200-2000W laser DED), 5-axis precision machining, and online quality inspection (visual and ultrasonic sensors) on a single platform. Features automated tool changing, force-controlled grinding, and a 270kg payload quick-change system, providing a one-stop additive-subtractive solution.
• HybridCAM (混合精工) Software Full-process metal hybrid manufacturing CAM software solution integrating design and modeling, intelligent process planning and simulation, additive-subtractive collaborative manufacturing execution, and full-process quality closed-loop control.
• Roll Blade Master (辊刀大师) Software Specialized CAM software for roller blade design and manufacturing. Provides 30-second DXF parsing for automatic toolpath generation, full-process simulation verification, an authoritative process parameter database, roller-blade-specific algorithms, and optional online quality monitoring.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Custom parts manufacturing, repair, reinforcement, and scientific experiment services delivered using Zhike's proprietary hybrid additive-subtractive equipment. Targets industrial customers in aerospace, defense, and mold making who require specialized manufacturing or repair capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% raw material cost reduction and 90% machining time reduction for roll blade production lines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• 越秀iPARK / 越秀智造 (Yuexiu iPARK / Yuexiu Manufacturing)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Yuexiu iPARK and Yuexiu Manufacturing hosted the company at their annual event and recognized Zhike as the 'Most Growth Potential Enterprise of 2026'. Yuexiu Group also provided prize money through their entrepreneurship competition (300,000 RMB award). The partnership appears to support company growth and provide a platform for industry connections in the Greater Bay Area.
• 香港科技大学霍英东研究院 (HKUST FytECH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Company is incubated at the HKUST FytECH (Fok Ying Tung Research Center for Engineering Science and Technology) Innovation Base in Nansha for technology industrialization cultivation. The partnership provides access to research facilities, academic expertise, and the broader HKUST innovation ecosystem.
• 大湾区科技创新服务中心 (Greater Bay Area Science and Technology Innovation Service Center)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Co-organizer of the HKUST Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition Guangzhou division and the 2024 Guangzhou Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship Competition Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Division. The partnership provides competition platform and connects innovative companies with the broader GBA innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Optomec: US-based specialist in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) additive manufacturing systems, with a similar focus on hybrid laser cladding and metal additive processes for repair and large-part applications.
• DMG MORI: German-Japanese manufacturer offering the LASERTEC series for hybrid powder deposition and milling on a single machine. Competes with Zhike in the aerospace and mold markets with global service infrastructure.
• Matsuura Machinery: Japanese machine tool maker with the Lumex series of hybrid metal additive-subtractive (DED + milling) machines. Closest direct competitor to Zhike's HM-M5H-100S in the multi-axis hybrid manufacturing category.
• Yamazaki Mazak: Operates the INTEGREX i-AM series of hybrid additive-subtractive machining centers that combine laser cladding with full 5-axis milling, directly comparable to Zhike's hybrid manufacturing value proposition.
• AddUp (BeAM): French manufacturer of metal DED additive manufacturing systems (formerly BeAM), offering hybrid laser cladding solutions directly comparable to Zhike's AM-M3R-830C roller cladding platform.

Broad incumbents

• Trumpf: German industrial laser and machine tool giant offering metal AM systems including TruPrint and laser cladding solutions. A broad incumbent with overlapping capability in hybrid and laser-based metal manufacturing.
• EOS GmbH: German global leader in industrial metal and polymer additive manufacturing systems, primarily SLM. Competes for the same aerospace and industrial customer budgets as Zhike's hybrid systems.

Emerging players

• Hanbang 3D (HBD): Chinese metal powder bed fusion (SLM) specialist serving aerospace and dental customers. A regional emerging player in Chinese metal AM that overlaps with Zhike on end-market exposure.
• Bright Laser Technologies (BLT): Leading Chinese metal additive manufacturing company offering SLM and DED systems. Competes with Zhike in the domestic Chinese aerospace and industrial AM market, with greater funding scale.
• Velo3D: US metal AM company focused on laser powder bed fusion for large aerospace parts, with overlapping end-customer profile (aerospace OEMs needing complex titanium parts) but different process (LPBF vs Zhike's DED+CNC hybrid).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zhike Automation