The US Department of the Treasury announced on Wednesday (7) a US$ 200,000 fine against Amidi, a company linked to the accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center, for not reporting an investment of US$ 92,478 in a Chinese artificial intelligence startup. The penalty, applied in July 2026, is the first under the American program restricting investments in sensitive technologies abroad, in effect since January 2025.
The transaction occurred on April 19, 2025, when a Chinese fund controlled by Amidi invested in Shanghai Qiongche Intelligent Technology, known as Noematrix. The company develops solutions in artificial intelligence, robotics and embodied intelligence, technology aimed at systems capable of interacting with the physical environment.
Amidi is the controlling company of the organization that operates as Plug and Play Tech Center, an international network for startup acceleration and connection with corporate investors. The corporate relationship placed the investment made by its foreign subsidiary under the notification obligations set forth in American legislation.
How an investment of less than US$ 100,000 resulted in the first sanction
The financial contrast is the main element of the case. The fine is more than double the invested capital, with a difference of US$ 107,522 between the investment and the penalty. The Treasury did not detail how it arrived at the sanction amount.
The violation identified was the lack of mandatory notification, not the carrying out of an investment expressly classified as prohibited. That distinction is important because American rules establish two categories of control: transactions that must be reported to the government and investments that are directly vetoed.
The Outbound Investment Security Program, in effect since January 2, 2025, covers certain transactions involving companies from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, in the artificial intelligence, semiconductor and quantum computing sectors. The obligations also cover investments made by foreign entities controlled by American persons or companies.
According to the Treasury, the transaction with Noematrix was identified through regular market monitoring and enforcement activities. The agency did not disclose additional details about the calculation of the fine.
The case establishes the first precedent for the application of a civil penalty within the program. The American government also reported that legislation approved by Congress in December 2025 will expand the scope of the restrictions to other countries and technology sectors.
