Final confirmed figure: Reuters reported on July 2 that the deal closed at over 19 billion yuan (~$2.80 billion), valued at $15 billion pre-money .
Bloomberg reported in June 2026 that Kling AI aimed to raise $2 billion+ at an $18 billion post-investment valuation, down from an initial $20 billion ask . SCMP confirmed the $18 billion post-money valuation in its July 1 exclusive . At the Reuters-reported pre-money of $15 billion and ~$2.8 billion raised, the post-money would be approximately $17.8 billion, consistent with the $18 billion figure .
The revenue trajectory is one of the fastest in software history.
The funding round is explicitly framed as pre-IPO financing ahead of a spinoff and public listing .
Kling AI's position strengthened significantly after its highest-profile Western competitor exited the market.
The SCMP July 1 exclusive references Kling AI's revenue surge "following latest AI video model release" — its 3.0 model — which drove the acceleration from $240M to $500M ARR . The 3.0 model was launched in early-to-mid 2026 and is described as having enhanced video generation capabilities that contributed directly to the ARR tripling from ~$100M (March 2025) to the $500M run rate .
| Claim | Status | Best Sources |
|---|---|---|
| $2B raised, expandable to ~$3B | Confirmed — closed ~$2.8B | Reuters , Yahoo/Bloomberg , SCMP |
| $18B post-money valuation | Confirmed | Bloomberg , SCMP , WSJ |
| ARR $240M (Dec 2025) | Confirmed — official Kuaishou PR | Kuaishou IR , SCMP |
| ARR $500M (Mar/Apr 2026) | Confirmed by multiple sources | AI Weekly , VP Land , Morphed |
| Hong Kong IPO within 12 months | Confirmed — HK listing start in ~1 year | SCMP , AI Weekly |
| OpenAI Sora shut down Mar 2026 | Confirmed | NYT , BBC , OpenAI Help |
| Kling 3.0 model launched | Confirmed — drove revenue acceleration | SCMP , AI Weekly |
Final confirmed figure: Reuters reported on July 2 that the deal closed at over 19 billion yuan (~$2.80 billion), valued at $15 billion pre-money .
Bloomberg reported in June 2026 that Kling AI aimed to raise $2 billion+ at an $18 billion post-investment valuation, down from an initial $20 billion ask . SCMP confirmed the $18 billion post-money valuation in its July 1 exclusive . At the Reuters-reported pre-money of $15 billion and ~$2.8 billion raised, the post-money would be approximately $17.8 billion, consistent with the $18 billion figure .
The revenue trajectory is one of the fastest in software history.
The funding round is explicitly framed as pre-IPO financing ahead of a spinoff and public listing .
Kling AI's position strengthened significantly after its highest-profile Western competitor exited the market.
The SCMP July 1 exclusive references Kling AI's revenue surge "following latest AI video model release" — its 3.0 model — which drove the acceleration from $240M to $500M ARR . The 3.0 model was launched in early-to-mid 2026 and is described as having enhanced video generation capabilities that contributed directly to the ARR tripling from ~$100M (March 2025) to the $500M run rate .
| Claim | Status | Best Sources |
|---|---|---|
| $2B raised, expandable to ~$3B | Confirmed — closed ~$2.8B | Reuters , Yahoo/Bloomberg , SCMP |
| $18B post-money valuation | Confirmed | Bloomberg , SCMP , WSJ |
| ARR $240M (Dec 2025) | Confirmed — official Kuaishou PR | Kuaishou IR , SCMP |
| ARR $500M (Mar/Apr 2026) | Confirmed by multiple sources | AI Weekly , VP Land , Morphed |
| Hong Kong IPO within 12 months | Confirmed — HK listing start in ~1 year | SCMP , AI Weekly |
| OpenAI Sora shut down Mar 2026 | Confirmed | NYT , BBC , OpenAI Help |
| Kling 3.0 model launched | Confirmed — drove revenue acceleration | SCMP , AI Weekly |