SenseTime, founded by Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Tang Xiaoou, has begun exploring an initial public offering as early as 2018.

SenseTime, a China-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer backed by semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm, plans to go public as early as next year, Reuters reported yesterday.

The company, reportedly valued at more than $2bn, is exploring Hong Kong, mainland China and the US as options for its initial public offering. The flotation may occur either in either 2018 or 2019.

Founded in 2014, SenseTime has created a deep learning platform that exploits computer vision to power applications such as facial and…