Zhou Xian (Genesis AI)

Overview

Zhou Xian is a prominent figure in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, primarily known for his contributions to the development of Genesis AI—a groundbreaking platform aimed at revolutionizing the robotics and automation industry. As a co-founder and the CEO of Genesis AI, Zhou has been instrumental in establishing a universal robotics foundation model designed to automate physical labor across various sectors, such as logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. With a Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Zhou's work integrates advanced simulation techniques and artificial intelligence to create scalable, efficient, and general-purpose robotic systems.

Recent Developments

As of July 2025, Zhou Xian has made significant strides in the robotics industry through several key developments:

June 2025: Genesis AI announced its public emergence with a substantial $105 million seed funding round, aimed at developing a universal robotics foundation model equipped with a high-fidelity physics simulation engine. This funding round was co-led by Eclipse Ventures and Khosla Ventures and included contributions from notable figures such as Eric Schmidt and Xavier Niel.
December 2024: Zhou led the launch of Genesis, an open-source physics engine capable of simulating physical phenomena at unprecedented speeds. This engine is integral to training autonomous robots using generative AI, thereby simplifying data generation and overcoming the limitations of traditional simulation tools.
February 2025: Genesis AI announced its plans to release an early version of its foundation model to the robotics research community by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to foster transparency and collaboration, driving innovation in general-purpose robotics.

Personal Information

Attribute	Information
Full Name	Zhou Xian
Born	Not publicly available
Nationality	Chinese
Occupation	CEO and co-founder of Genesis AI
Known For	Genesis AI, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence
Net Worth	Not publicly available
Education	Ph.D. in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University

Early Life and Education

Zhou Xian's academic journey began at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2016. Following his undergraduate studies, Zhou pursued a Ph.D. in Robotics at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, completing his doctorate in 2024 under the guidance of Katerina Fragkiadaki. His dissertation focused on the development of a generative paradigm for building generalist robots, laying the groundwork for his future work with Genesis AI. During his doctoral studies, Zhou gained recognition for his innovative approaches to robot learning and simulation.

Career and Notable Achievements

Zhou's professional career has been marked by significant achievements in robotics and AI:

2017-2024: During his Ph.D. at CMU, Zhou worked on several high-impact research projects, leading to key publications in top conferences such as CoRL and ICRA.
2024: Co-founded Genesis AI alongside Theophile Gervet, aiming to harness generative AI for developing universal robotics models.
Professional Recognition: Zhou has been acknowledged for his contributions to AI through numerous academic publications, highlighting novel methodologies in simulation and robot learning.

Current Work and Impact

As CEO of Genesis AI, Zhou Xian is at the forefront of the company's mission to democratize physical AI by creating accessible and efficient simulation platforms. His work is focused on developing tools that significantly lower the barriers for robotics research and deployment, ultimately enabling a new generation of intelligent autonomous systems. The impact of Zhou’s work is particularly evident in the way Genesis AI’s simulation technologies are expected to transform industries reliant on physical labor, streamlining operations and enhancing productivity.

Genesis: A Universal and Generative Physics Engine For Robotics and Beyond

The Genesis project, spearheaded by Zhou Xian, represents a significant leap forward in physics-based simulation technology. The platform integrates advanced generative data models with a universal physics engine, capable of producing synthetic data 430,000 times faster than real-world scenarios. This capability is set to challenge existing solutions such as Nvidia's Isaac Sim, offering improved speed, flexibility, and data diversity.

Conclusion

Zhou Xian’s accomplishments with Genesis AI have positioned him as a pivotal figure in the evolution of robotics and AI. By tackling the limitations inherent in traditional simulation methods, Zhou is paving the way for the emergence of flexible, general-purpose robots capable of performing diverse tasks across a multitude of environments. As Genesis AI continues to develop and release its open-source components, the broader robotics field stands to benefit from increased collaboration and innovation, driven by the foundational work laid by Zhou and his team.