Chinese researcher's AI platform valued at nearly $1m

Zhong Ziqi, a Chinese doctoral researcher in quantitative marketing at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a visiting professor at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Sichuan province, has received a valuation of $978,000 for his proprietary AI platform AquaMind.

The valuation was issued by a licensed third-party appraisal agency in accordance with Chinese asset evaluation standards.

AquaMind is a lightweight AI platform designed to support decision-making in sales' forecasting and supply chain management. By combining practical AI algorithms with applied business functions, it reflects ongoing efforts to explore how emerging technologies can contribute to broader goals such as digital transformation and sustainable development.

The software has been officially registered with China's National Copyright Administration.

Zhong is also the creator of PrivaAI, a recognizable AI platform designed to support privacy-aware digital transformation. His academic work has been presented at leading international conferences, including the ISMS Marketing Science Conference, the American Marketing Association Conference, and the European Marketing Academy Conference.

"This evaluation is an encouraging step," Zhong said. "I hope it shows that early-stage academic ideas, when combined with continuous learning and collaboration, can gradually contribute to solving practical challenges."

His case illustrates how young researchers can increasingly play a role in the interface between science, innovation, and global cooperation — an area emphasized by China's push for modernization and shared development.

Please contact the writer at hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn