{"slug": "nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival", "title": "Nvidia-backed startup Reflection unveils open-weight AI model said to rival China offerings", "summary": "Reflection AI, an AI startup founded by two former Google DeepMind researchers and backed by Nvidia, unveiled an open-weight model called Beam on Monday (Oct 5) that it says scores comparably on advanced reasoning benchmarks to GLM-5.2, the flagship open model from China's Z.AI, while costing less than many competitors for coding and AI agent tasks. Reflection, which emerged from stealth in 2025, has held talks to raise US$2.5 billion at a US$25 billion valuation and has struck billion-dollar computing deals with SpaceX and Nebius Group, and it intends to release more technical details about Beam later in October. The release stands to support US government efforts to export American and allied AI technology, following Reflection's role in a US-brokered sovereign AI deal in South Korea earlier in 2026.", "body_md": "# Nvidia-backed startup Reflection unveils open-weight AI model said to rival China offerings\n\nBeam is designed to perform well for coding and agent tasks and costs less than many competitors, says the firm\n\n[SAN FRANCISCO] Reflection AI, an artificial intelligence startup founded by two former Google DeepMind researchers, has unveiled a new open-weight model that it says rivals leading options in the US and China.\n\nThe model, called Beam, is designed to perform well for business customers and developers on coding and AI agent tasks while costing less than many competitors, the company said on Monday (Oct 5).\n\nIt said Beam scores comparably on advanced reasoning benchmarks to GLM-5.2, a flagship open model from China’s Z.AI.\n\nReflection intends to release more technical details about the model later in October.\n\nWhile China is still widely viewed as behind the US in AI, Chinese developers like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI have gained ground by offering [cheaper and customisable open models](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups-tech/technology/cheaper-ai-better-soaring-bills-are-reshaping-how-businesses-choose-models).\n\nTop US firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have primarily focused on closed or proprietary offerings as they work to build up their enterprise businesses.\n\nReflection emerged from stealth in 2025 with a focus on developing open AI models.\n\nThe firm is backed by Nvidia and other investors.\n\nIt has held talks to raise US$2.5 billion at a valuation of US$25 billion, *The Wall Street Journal* previously reported.\n\nThe startup has also struck billion-dollar deals with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and cloud provider Nebius Group to secure computing power to develop its models.\n\nThe model release stands to boost the American government’s efforts to export US and allied AI technology abroad.\n\nEarlier in 2026, Reflection was part of a US-brokered deal to build sovereign AI in South Korea.\n\nOfficials are planning to cobble together more of these deals promoting exports of US tech, which are designed to prevent the spread of Chinese alternatives. BLOOMBERG\n\nDecoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.\n\nShare with us your feedback on BT's products and services", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival", "canonical_source": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-rival-china-offerings", "published_at": "2026-10-06 05:09:30+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-06 05:17:29.396747+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "large-language-models", "ai-startups", "ai-agents", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["Reflection AI", "Beam", "Nvidia", "Google DeepMind", "Z.AI", "GLM-5.2", "SpaceX", "Nebius Group"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nvidia-backed-startup-reflection-unveils-open-weight-ai-model-said-to-rival.jsonld"}}