Former Qwen Lead Lin Junyang Launches AI Agent Startup Pragmatik Labs, Backed by Tencent

Lin Junyang, former head of Alibaba's Qwen large model series, has officially announced his new startup Pragmatik Labs, which focuses on building next-generation AI agents that span digital and physical worlds. The company has already secured funding from investors including Gaorong Ventures, Sequoia China, and Tencent, with a valuation of $2 billion. Lin aims to shift AI from reasoning-centric to agentic thinking, emphasizing productivity and long-term scientific progress.