Robin Zeng’s high-stakes bets—from quitting his first job to founding CATL—have reshaped the global EV battery market.

Hong Kong-trade shares in CATL, the world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles, have jumped after the company raised around $4.6 billion in the biggest initial public offering globally this year.

Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology’s shares soared Tuesday in their Hong Kong debut, marking the world’s largest equity offering so far this year. A successful listing of CATL, as the company is known,