$30 million: The company behind the first 3D AI boyfriend secures another round of funding

Recently, the AI companion company "Natural Selection" secured a new round of funding from investors including Alibaba, Ant Group, Qiming Venture Partners, Five Source Capital, Genesis Partners, and Yunshi Capital. Previously, "Natural Selection" had received investment from Kaiying Network. To date, the company has raised a total of $30 million.

As early as 2024, the 3D AI girlfriend video for *EVE* released by "Natural Selection" had already garnered over a million views on Bilibili, and the AI boyfriend released the following year also sparked widespread discussion.

In June 2025, during its first beta test, "EVE" went viral with its "AI-ordered bubble tea" feature, introducing a brand-new business model for AI companion products.

Zhang Xiaofan, founder of “Natural Selection,” is a serial entrepreneur. In 2020, his company “Ultimate Illusion” received investment from Bilibili and Kaiying Network, and later launched the male-oriented romance mobile game *Age of Singularity*.When *Singularity Era* launched in 2023, it surged into the top 30 of the iOS Top Grossing chart within its first month of open beta, with monthly revenue once exceeding 100 million yuan. Founded in 2024, “Natural Selection” marks his fourth startup venture.

In September of last year, Kaiying Network’s “Investor Relations Activity Record Form dated September 18, 2025” mentioned that *EVE* would launch by the end of 2025. In November of last year, *EVE* officially went live on TapTap and the App Store, with a launch date of March 2026 previously announced.

Toward the end of last year, AI companion products—including "Star Sleep" and "Infinite Valley"—began their beta testing phases one after another. Most of their founders are serial entrepreneurs in the internet industry with impressive track records. In 2026, AI companion products will face an even more competitive market environment.