Ant Group’s Digital Tech Unit Reportedly Kicks Off Pre-IPO Funding, Eyes Breakeven This Year — BigGo Finance
Ant Group’s capital market maneuvers are clearly accelerating. Just one week after subsidiary Ant International announced the completion of a $1.2 billion Series A funding round, market sources indicate Ant Digital Technologies has begun preparations for pre-IPO financing, signaling that the fintech giant is speeding up efforts to push subsidiaries toward independent listings on public markets.
According to reports from the STAR Market Daily and Leidi Network on July 29, multiple people familiar with the matter revealed that Ant Digital Technologies, the subsidiary responsible for Ant Group’s technology commercialization, is preparing for a Pre-IPO funding round. At the same time, OceanBase, the group’s independently operated database company, has also launched a Series A funding plan targeting approximately 2 billion to 3 billion yuan (approximately $296 million to $444.1 million). With these moves, at least three Ant Group subsidiaries are now simultaneously advancing independent fundraising processes.
Ant Digital Technologies officially began operating independently in April 2024 and established a separate board of directors earlier that year. CEO Zhao Wenbiao previously disclosed publicly that the company would achieve breakeven within the year, a statement that provides key performance support for the launch of Pre-IPO financing. Public data shows that as of recently, Ant Digital Technologies has partnered with over 300 collaborators to serve more than 30,000 enterprise clients globally, with a business footprint covering cutting-edge technology fields including AI and Web3.
At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Ant Group CEO Han Xinyi personally endorsed Ant Digital Technologies and proposed the strategic vision of building an “Agent Super Factory,” which is viewed externally as the core business direction the unit is currently prioritizing. The independent fundraising and IPO preparations of Ant Digital Technologies mark Ant Group’s effort to reactivate valuation potential in the capital markets by spinning off subsidiaries for separate listings, following the completion of regulatory rectification.
The fundraising race among Ant Group’s subsidiaries is heating up. On July 21, Ant International announced the completion of its Series A round, raising approximately $1.2 billion. The round saw participation from existing shareholders including Ant Group and Alibaba, along with several internationally renowned investment institutions. By comparison, OceanBase’s fundraising pace is slightly slower; it remains in the Series A stage of discussions with investors, with proceeds primarily earmarked for strengthening its independent operational capabilities and increasing investment in AI data platforms and overseas markets.
From a business logic perspective, Ant Digital Technologies carries Ant Group’s ambitions to expand beyond payments and finance into the enterprise technology services market. Its business encompasses the commercial application of core technologies including blockchain, privacy computing, IoT, and AI. Zhao Wenbiao’s promise of “breakeven within the year” implies that this tech subsidiary, established just over two years ago, has crossed the most difficult phase of heavy R&D investment and is now entering an upward trajectory of commercial returns. For Pre-IPO stage investors, a clear path to profitability is undoubtedly a key bargaining chip for enhancing valuation.
With the launch of Ant Digital Technologies’ Pre-IPO funding, the market is closely watching its valuation level and choice of listing venue. Against the backdrop of a global tech stock recovery and an accelerating overseas push by Chinese technology companies, if Ant Digital Technologies can successfully achieve breakeven and complete its fundraising, it will provide a highly valuable template for the independent capital market operations of Ant Group’s other subsidiaries.
