Zhuimi founder reportedly orders sweep to “take all” from rival Yushu, promises RMB 200 million to hire chief scientist

Leaked orders show aggressive poaching plan

It has been reported that Zhuimi (追觅) founder Yu Hao erupted in an internal Magic Atom (魔法原子) group chat, castigating his team as “too passive” and issuing a blunt directive: aggressively seize customers, bids and even employees from rival Yushu (宇树). A screenshot of the exchange — which includes an instruction to offer RMB 200 million in annual pay to recruit a chief scientist — circulated online after Yu allegedly warned that anyone who screenshot the messages would be “immediately fired.” The screenshot appears to contradict the attempted confidentiality.

What the messages said

According to the leaked image, Yu told staff the company “cannot just defend” and should “actively rob” Yushu’s panda project, clients, tenders and people. He reportedly demanded a full PR encirclement of the competitor and pledged a huge compensation package to land top research talent. It has been reported that the final line in the chat — threatening dismissal for anyone who leaked the content — did not prevent the screenshot from leaking externally.

Why it matters

This episode underscores how cutthroat competition for customers and technical talent has become in China’s fast-moving robotics and AI-adjacent sectors. Is this an isolated outburst or part of a wider arms race for engineers and scientists as firms race to localize capabilities amid global export controls and geopolitical pressure? Aggressive hiring and poaching campaigns can invite litigation, reputational harm and regulatory scrutiny, even as firms try to shield supply chains and expertise from international risks.

It has been reported that neither Zhuimi nor Yushu had publicly commented at the time of the leak. If confirmed, the episode will be watched closely by rivals, investors and regulators concerned about corporate conduct and talent mobility in China’s strategic tech industries.