ZXMOTO, a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, has secured exclusive investment from the HSG Group, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China, boosting its valuation to approximately $890 million USD. Both parties chose not to disclose the exact investment amount at the announcement; however, the media reported that the current investment totals around CNY150 million (roughly $22.3 million USD).
Established in Chongqing in 2024 by motorcycle entrepreneur Zhang Xue, ZXMOTO focuses on high-performance bikes and develops its own engines. The brand has gained notable recognition for its rapid rise in international racing, becoming the first Chinese firm to win a race in the WorldSSP category of the FIM Superbike World Championship, one of the premier racing series for production motorcycles.
Looking ahead, ZXMOTO plans to continue emphasizing engine development, complete motorcycle production, R&D, and racing validation. The investment firm intends to leverage its expertise in corporate governance, talent recruitment, industry connections, and international markets to support ZXMOTO’s long-term expansion. This partnership is expected to help the company grow its production capacity and expand globally.
Founder Zhang Xue expressed confidence that the new partnership offers long-term support, enabling ZXMOTO to further improve its engines and motorcycles, finalize product validation through racing tests, and incorporate real-user feedback. Zhang believes that Chinese high-performance motorcycles have the potential to appeal to customers worldwide, emphasizing that achieving this goal will require patience and sustained investment.
Within just over two years, ZXMOTO has completed two funding rounds. Its initial angel round in July 2024 saw Gaoxin Lingzhi Venture Capital, part of Focus Capital, invest CNY20 million (around $3 million USD), valuing the company at CNY100 million. In January, Zhejiang Venture Capital Group, a state-owned investment arm, contributed CNY90 million across two funds during a Series A round, elevating ZXMOTO’s valuation to CNY1.1 billion.
The company’s rising valuation is supported by its success in racing, having secured six wins in the WorldSSP series as of June 13. Financially, ZXMOTO reported a total output value of CNY750 million in 2026, with R&D expenditures totaling CNY69.6 million (about 9% of sales). Despite these investments, the company posted a net loss of CNY22.8 million for the year.
To bolster production capacity, ZXMOTO recently acquired land in Liangjiang New Area, a key industrial zone in Chongqing, investing CNY48.5 million for development. Additionally, in collaboration with CMCU Engineering, a state-owned engineering firm, ZXMOTO is establishing an R&D and manufacturing facility slated to produce 500,000 motorcycles annually. The company has already surpassed 10,000 units in monthly production as of June.
Recently, ZXMOTO’s 500RR sports motorcycle earned EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval certification from Luxembourg authorities. This approval indicates that the model meets EU market standards and can legally be sold across EU nations and other regions accepting WVTA certificates.