BEIJING -- Zeekr, the electric vehicle brand by Geely, said it raised $500 million in its first external funding from investors including Intel Capital, battery maker CATL and online entertainment firm Bilibili.
Zeekr said investors would jointly hold a 5.6 percent stake in the company, valuing it around $9 billion.
Chief Financial Officer Yuan Jing told reporters on Friday that Zeekr does not currently have a clear plan for its initial public offering.
The company builds the Zeekr 001 model in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo and is expected to start delivering them later this year. It aims to sell 650,000 vehicles a year by 2025.
Investors also included Cathay Fortune Corporation, which invests in mining companies, and private-equity firm Boyu Capital that additionally signed long-term investment partnerships with Zeekr, the automaker said in a statement.
The investing companies are expected to contribute expertise in intelligent connectivity, batteries, young consumer markets and raw materials, it said.
Car companies globally are working with more tech companies, battery makers and mining firms to develop future products and secure supply of components amid a shift towards electric vehicles.
Zeekr, which targets young and trendy customers, is jointly owned by Geely Automobile and its parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the owner of Volvo Cars and a 9.7 percent stake in Daimler, and Geely Automobile launched the Zeekr in March this year to compete with EV companies including Tesla and Nio. They jointly invested 2 billion yuan ($308.4 million) into the brand earlier.
