The fifth KINGSOFT CLOUD Dark Horse Competition, themed "Star Quest," commenced on April 9th and 10th at the Wuhan KINGSOFT Software Park. This year's event introduced a dual-track format for the first time, featuring separate "Enterprise" and "University" tracks. The competition attracted elite students from institutions such as Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Wuhan University of Technology, who competed alongside KINGSOFT CLOUD's research and development teams. This initiative fosters a deep connection between industrial practice and academic research.

A total of 19 teams participated, bringing cutting-edge projects spanning the full technological stack, including computing, storage, networking, and artificial intelligence. As KINGSOFT CLOUD's most influential internal technology innovation contest, the Dark Horse Competition was established in 2021 and is renowned as a premier gathering for developers. The "Star Quest" theme symbolizes the search for new technology talents in the vast universe of code. The competition structure was significantly upgraded this year with the introduction of the parallel enterprise and university tracks, held on April 9th and 10th, respectively. KINGSOFT CLOUD provided workspace and internship stipends for university teams and extended long-term internship offers to outstanding student participants, effectively using the competition as a platform for talent acquisition.

To encourage technological innovation and teamwork, the competition featured an attractive incentive package. The champion team on the enterprise track received a team-building fund of 100,000 yuan, with the runner-up and second runner-up receiving 60,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan, respectively. Additionally, winning teams were granted a valuable opportunity for a post-competition exchange and dinner with members of the KINGSOFT CLOUD executive team, allowing for direct dialogue with senior leadership about the future of technology. The event was sponsored by Intel and supported by KINGSOFT CLOUD's "Hanhai Platform," which provided AI acceleration support, including zero-code application deployment and computational power assurance. The total computational resource investment exceeded one million yuan, offering substantial support for project implementation.

The competition serves as more than just a technological contest; it is a significant initiative by KINGSOFT CLOUD to fulfill its social responsibilities and support national strategic goals. A company representative stated the event aims to stimulate innovation among students and engineers, promote deep integration between academic research and industrial R&D in technology foresight, and identify and recruit promising young talent for strategic emerging industries.

Since KINGSOFT's initial investment in Wuhan in 2017, the company has continually expanded its presence. By 2025, KINGSOFT's headquarters in Wuhan generated nearly 1.5 billion yuan in output value. The Optical Valley KINGSOFT Software Park, built with a 4 billion yuan investment, is now fully operational. As of the end of 2025, KINGSOFT employed 5,500 people in Wuhan, with R&D staff accounting for over 80% of the workforce. Over the next five years, KINGSOFT plans to establish a ten-thousand-person R&D center, further solidifying Wuhan's role as a core R&D base for the company nationwide.

This initiative aligns with strategic directives following a visit by Hubei Provincial Party Secretary Wang Zhonglin to KINGSOFT Wuhan on April 1, 2026. During the visit, KINGSOFT CEO Zou Tao outlined a five-year strategy to position the company as a source of AI technology in Hubei. The strategy involves creating a complete innovation chain encompassing large models, computing power services, and industry-specific agents, building a benchmark for industry-education integration, and continuously cultivating high-quality digital talent for Hubei. The Dark Horse Competition is a practical implementation of this strategy. Through the dual-track format, KINGSOFT CLOUD is not only facilitating the deep alignment of technology foresight with industrial needs but also pioneering an open, collaborative, and mutually beneficial technological innovation ecosystem in Hubei.

From its origins as an internal hackathon, the KINGSOFT CLOUD Dark Horse Competition has evolved into an influential technology event in Central China, connecting universities, industry, capital, and government resources. Looking ahead, KINGSOFT CLOUD will continue to use the competition as a conduit to gather young talent and support Wuhan's development into a nationally influential hub for technological innovation, injecting continuous youthful energy into China's digital economy.