Haomo.AI
Chinese self-driving software maker spun out of Great Wall Motor, now shut down.
On the record
Checkpoint: Great Wall's decision on transferring Haomo's IP to internal divisions, or a distressed sale of its assets
The call
Haomo.AI stopped operating in November 2025 after Great Wall Motor moved its self-driving business to outside suppliers and its own technology fell a generation behind.
Haomo.AI made self-driving software for cars, mostly for its parent company Great Wall Motor. It became easy to replace because the company did not adopt the newer AI approach (called end-to-end vision-language-action) that XPeng, Li Auto, and other rivals were using by late 2024. Haomo had only one real customer (its parent) and one way to sell (through that parent), so when Great Wall Motor decided to buy self-driving software from other companies like Yuanrong Qixing and DJI instead, Haomo had nowhere to go. The only thing that could matter now is what happens to Haomo's leftover technology and data: if Great Wall transfers valuable patents or code to its other divisions, or if a competitor buys Haomo's assets cheaply, those pieces might live on in some form.
Why
01
AI pressure: XPeng, Li Auto, DeepRoute.ai end-to-end/VLA driving models. Rivals shipped end-to-end VLA driving models by late 2024; Haomo rejected that architecture in 2023 and fell a cycle behind. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: Great Wall Motor (parent), switched to Yuanrong Qixing and DJI/Zhuoyu. Great Wall, Haomo's only real customer, moved its self-driving sourcing to outside suppliers starting March 2024, cutting Haomo off. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. None apparent. The company has laid off its entire staff and ceased operating.
What would change this call
GWM issues formal statement on Haomo IP/team transfer to an internal division. Would confirm GWM absorbed Haomo's remaining assets rather than a clean dissolution.
A rival AV firm (Momenta, Pony.ai, WeRide, DeepRoute.ai) announces a distressed acquisition of Haomo assets or staff. Would show market value remained in Haomo's technology or people despite the shutdown.
Resolution of unpaid wages and social-insurance disputes for former Haomo employees reported in Chinese media. Would clarify whether GWM accepted financial responsibility for the collapse.
A rival AV firm (Momenta, Pony.ai, WeRide, DeepRoute.ai) announces a distressed acquisition of Haomo assets or staff. Would show market value remained in Haomo's technology or people despite the shutdown.
Resolution of unpaid wages and social-insurance disputes for former Haomo employees reported in Chinese media. Would clarify whether GWM accepted financial responsibility for the collapse.
Key numbers
- Headcount fell from 1,500+ to 0
- GWM began sourcing driving tech externally
- ~200 remaining staff laid off at shutdown
Named risks
- Total operational shutdown with no confirmed dissolution or restructuring status as of late 2025.
- Unresolved unpaid wages and social insurance contributions for laid-off staff.
- Parent Great Wall Motor's own financial distress (H1 2026 profit down 63 percent) reduces rescue likelihood.
- Failure to adopt end-to-end VLA architecture left tech a full cycle behind rivals.
- Scope and timing of IP transfer to GWM divisions remains unresolved.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Yuanrong Qixing | gaining on | Became GWM's preferred external smart-driving supplier starting March 2024 |
| DJI Zhuoyu | gaining on | GWM deepened ties with DJI's automotive unit as alternative to Haomo, 2024 |
| XPeng | gaining on | Mass-produced VLA end-to-end driving models by late 2024, ahead of Haomo |
| Li Auto | gaining on | Shipped end-to-end VLA systems by late 2024, a cycle ahead of Haomo |
| DeepRoute.ai | gaining on | Deployed VLA architecture by late 2024 while Haomo lagged a full cycle |
| Momenta, Pony.ai, WeRide | contesting | Named as potential distressed buyers of Haomo IP or team after Nov 2025 collapse |
Questions people ask
- Is Haomo.AI still operating in 2026?
- No. Haomo.AI halted all operations starting November 24, 2025, when employees were told not to report to work, and on November 27-28, 2025 the entire remaining workforce of roughly 200 people was laid off. As of mid 2026 neither Haomo nor Great Wall Motor has confirmed whether this is dissolution, restructuring, or suspension.
- What caused Haomo.AI's collapse?
- Great Wall Motor, Haomo's parent and only real customer, began sourcing intelligent-driving tech externally from Yuanrong Qixing and DJI's Zhuoyu unit starting March 2024. Haomo also rejected an internal 2023 proposal to build an end-to-end large model, leaving it about a full technology cycle behind rivals by late 2024.
- Who owned Haomo.AI?
- Haomo.AI was controlled by Great Wall Motor chairman Wei Jianjun via a holding structure, with Zhangjiagang state capital holding about 12.19%, and minority stakes from Hillhouse Ventures (5.28%), Meituan (3.61%), and Qualcomm (0.90%), according to a December 5, 2025 report.
- Did Haomo.AI complete its planned IPO?
- No. Chairman Zhang Kai said a Hong Kong IPO would happen in 2025, but as of a December 5, 2025 report it had never materialized, and the company halted all operations weeks later in November 2025.
- How many people lost their jobs when Haomo.AI shut down?
- Headcount fell from over 1,500 employees roughly two years before collapse to about 280, then about 200, before the entire remaining workforce was laid off around November 24-28, 2025, with unresolved unpaid wages and social insurance contributions reported December 8, 2025.
- Could AI replace Haomo.AI?
- In effect it already did: Haomo's leadership rejected a 2023 internal proposal to build an end-to-end large model as too resource-intensive, leaving it about a full technology cycle behind rivals like XPeng, Li Auto, and DeepRoute.ai, whose vision-language-action systems shipped by late 2024.
Timeline
- 2026-07-24GWM H1 2026 profit expected down up to 63 percent; HSBC downgrades GWM to Hold
- 2025-12-08Report cites unresolved unpaid wages and social insurance disputes for ex-Haomo staff
- 2025-12-05Report confirms planned HK IPO never happened; valuation stuck at $1B since 2021
- 2025-11-28Haomo.AI halts operations; staff told not to report to work
- 2025-11-27Entire remaining workforce of about 200 employees laid off
- 2024-11-06Haomo.AI confirms partial layoffs
- 2024-04-23Haomo raises RMB 300 million; discloses 120-140 million km of driving data
- 2024-03GWM starts sourcing intelligent-driving tech externally via Yuanrong Qixing and DJI Zhuoyu
- 2024-02-21Series B1 raises ~$14M; HPilot ADAS installed on 20+ vehicle models
- 2023-01-06Haomo and ByteDance's Volcano Engine launch Mana Oasis computing center
- 2021-12-21Series A closes at ~$157M, giving Haomo unicorn status near $1B valuation
Revision history
29 July 2026
First assessed. Little protection left. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Great Wall's self-driving arm Haomo.AI collapses as company reports abrupt staff layoff, report says (2025-11-28)
- Lessons from the First Batch of Fallen Intelligent Driving Unicorns for the Survivors (2025-11-27)
- Chinese Self-Driving Startup Haomo.AI Confirms Layoffs (2024-11-06)
- End of 'Storytelling', Beginning of 'Focusing on Implementation' (2025-12-08)
- Super Unicorn That Raised $2 Billion Halts Production (2025-12-05)
- What is Brief History of Haomo.AI Company? (2025-07-11)
- Great Wall-backed autonomous driving startup Haomo secures RMB 300 million in new funding (2024-04-23)
- Backed by Chinese carmaker Great Wall, Haomo raises $14M for autonomous driving tech (2024-02-21)
- Chinese autonomous driving startup raises $157 mln from Hillhouse, Meituan (2021-12-21)
- HAOMO.AI Stock Price, Funding, Valuation, Revenue & Financial Statements (2024-04-22)
- TikTok owner ByteDance, start-up Haomo.AI launch new infrastructure to boost autonomous driving push (2023-01-06)
- Great Wall Motor Company Limited Announces Management Changes, Effective from July 24, 2026 (2026-07-24)