Tencent and MiniMax Forge Alliance for Million-Level AI Throughput
AI large model manufacturer MiniMax has partnered with Tencent Cloud in a significant collaboration to scale its artificial intelligence training operations. The deal centers on MiniMax using Tencent Cloud's Agent Runtime sandbox product to support its "Forge" reinforcement learning framework. This integration is designed to manage large-scale AI agent training, enabling scenarios where computing environments can be instantly established and deleted as needed.
The partnership has already demonstrated substantial technical capability in a testing environment. It successfully achieved stable operation with a million-level throughput and a hundred-thousand-level Agent Reinforcement Learning (RL) sandbox. This technical validation proves the infrastructure's capacity for handling the intensive demands of advanced AI model development, providing MiniMax with a critical advantage in the competitive AI landscape.
MiniMax Shares Advance 12.1% on Cloud Infrastructure Deal
Investors reacted positively to the strategic value of the collaboration for MiniMax, sending its stock (MINIMAX-WP) up 12.1% on March 17. The market perceives the access to Tencent's powerful cloud infrastructure as a direct catalyst for MiniMax's growth and technological edge. In contrast, Tencent's stock (00700.HK) experienced a slight decline of 0.91%, as the deal represents a smaller-scale strategic win for the technology giant.
Despite the positive news for MiniMax, short-selling data from March 17 indicates significant bearish sentiment on both companies. Short selling in Tencent reached $1.37 billion, representing 10.77% of its volume, while MiniMax saw $70.94 million in short sales, or 5.99% of its volume. This suggests that while the partnership is a clear operational victory, some market participants remain skeptical of the broader valuations.
Deal Timed with Tech Showcase at FILMART 2026
The announcement aligns with both companies' participation in the FILMART and EntertainmentPulse 2026 conference in Hong Kong, which runs from March 17-20. MiniMax is featured at the event's "AI Hub," showcasing its latest applications in AI-generated content and animation. This strategic timing suggests a coordinated effort to leverage the announcement for business development and to demonstrate the practical applications of their technology to a global audience of industry leaders, reinforcing the commercial goals behind the technical collaboration.