China’s Humanoid-Robot Makers Cash In on Novelty
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A recent investment spree in embodied AI companies reached a climax in July, when a host of developers completed fresh financing rounds. Photo: AI generated
China’s embodied artificial intelligence (AI) developers are still far from achieving large-scale commercial uses for humanoid robots, but despite that, investor enthusiasm is running high.
Excitement about the potential of embodied AI — the integration of AI into robots, enabling them to interact with and learn from their environments — soared after the Lunar New Year’s Eve, when a dozen of Unitree Robotics’ general-purpose humanoids danced a jig on national TV during the Spring Festival Gala. The Hangzhou-based startup raised fresh capital in a Series C funding round in June, Caixin has learned.
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Explore the story in 30 seconds
- Investor enthusiasm for China’s embodied AI and humanoid robotics is strong despite limited commercial adoption, highlighted by Unitree Robotics’ Spring Festival Gala appearance and multiple funding rounds in 2024.
- Companies are divided into hardware-focused (mobility) and software-centric (cognitive skills) camps, but most revenue still comes from non-humanoid or practical robot products.
- Local governments support sector development, exemplified by Tianjin’s new data factory aiding AI training; commercial viability remains far off.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Unitree Robotics
- Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based startup, is a prominent hardware-first company in China's embodied AI sector. They specialize in developing bipedal or quadrupedal robots with advanced motion capabilities. Their general-purpose humanoids garnered significant attention after a televised performance. Unitree Robotics successfully secured fresh capital in a Series C funding round in June, reflecting high investor enthusiasm for their work.
- DexForce Technology
- DexForce Technology (星动未来) is a Chinese embodied AI developer that recently completed a fresh financing round in July, contributing to a significant investment spree in the sector. The company is software-centric, focusing on developing robots with cognitive skills like object recognition and clothes folding, which are trained using embodied AI models and manipulation algorithms.
- Galaxea AI
- Galaxea AI is a Chinese embodied AI company that raised fresh financing in July. It is a software-centric firm, focusing on developing robots with cognitive-style skills, such as object recognition and clothes folding. Galaxea AI utilizes embodied AI models and manipulation algorithms to train the "brains" of its robots.
- Tars
- Tars is one of several embodied AI developers in China that recently completed a fresh financing round in July, amidst a surge of investment in the sector. These financing negotiations reportedly began shortly after the Spring Festival Gala in late January. While the article doesn't detail Tars' specific products, embodied AI companies in China are either hardware-focused, developing robot mobility, or software-focused, creating cognitive skills.
- Robot Era
- Robot Era is a Chinese embodied AI company that focuses on software for robots with cognitive-style skills. They launched ERA-42, a multimodal model that executes over 100 tasks via voice commands. While they aim to commercialize their embodied AI, their main revenue comes from selling hardware like dexterous hands, primarily to overseas customers.
- Meituan
- Meituan, a major delivery giant in China, has shown keen interest in the embodied AI sector. They participated in financing rounds for several embodied AI developers. These negotiations began shortly after the Spring Festival Gala in late January, highlighting Meituan's involvement in the growing embodied AI landscape.
- BlueRun Ventures
- BlueRun Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. They were involved in financing rounds for embodied AI developers in China, with negotiations beginning after the Spring Festival Gala in late January.
- UBTech Robotics Corp. Ltd.
- UBTech Robotics is the Chinese mainland's first humanoid robot firm to go public, listed in Hong Kong. Despite this, they primarily generate revenue from products like smart cat litter boxes, lawnmowers, and educational robots, rather than humanoid sales. This highlights the early stage of commercial validation for humanoid robots.
- LimX Dynamics
- LimX Dynamics is a Chinese embodied AI company that focuses on hardware development. They specialize in creating bipedal or quadrupedal robots with advanced mobility, capable of performing actions like walking, punching, and dancing.
- EngineAI
- EngineAI is a hardware-focused company in China's embodied AI sector. It specializes in developing bipedal or quadrupedal robots with capabilities for motions like walking, punching, and dancing.
- Deep Robotics
- Deep Robotics is a Chinese embodied AI company that focuses on hardware development. They are categorized as a "hardware-first" firm, specializing in mobility through the creation of quadrupedal robots. Their work contributes to the advancement of robots capable of various motions like walking, punching, and dancing.
- AgiBot
- AgiBot is a Chinese company focused on software-centric embodied AI. Their work involves developing wheeled or bipedal robots with cognitive-style skills, such as object recognition and clothes folding. They utilize embodied AI models and manipulation algorithms to train the "brains" of these robots.
- Astribot
- Astribot, developed by the Chinese company 星擎科技 (Xingqing Technology), is a software-centric embodied AI firm. These companies focus on developing cognitive skills for robots, such as object recognition and folding clothes, using embodied AI models and manipulation algorithms. Their technical approach involves training the "brains" of robots to mimic human movements in real-world environments.
- AI² Robotics
- AI² Robotics is a Chinese embodied AI company focused on software, specifically cognitive-style skills for robots. They prioritize training robots with embodied AI models and manipulation algorithms to perform tasks like recognizing objects and folding clothes.
- Sichuan Embodied Humanoid Robot Technology Co. Ltd.
- Sichuan Embodied Humanoid Robot Technology Co. Ltd. (Chengdu-based) is an embodied AI developer operating in China. The company reportedly plans to build a data factory in West China, similar to a facility in Tianjin. This factory would collect data for training embodied AI from various application environments like carmaking, electronics assembly, and medical care.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- 2024：
- UBTech Robotics Corp. Ltd. generated the majority of its revenue from sales of non-humanoid products such as smart cat litter boxes, smart lawn mowers, unmanned logistics vehicles, wheeled robots for educational purposes, and open-source software.
- December 2024：
- Robot Era launched its embodied AI large model ERA-42.
- Late January 2025：
- 2025 Spring Festival Gala took place, during which Unitree Robotics’ humanoids danced on national TV.
- After the 2025 Spring Festival Gala：
- Negotiations for investment rounds involving companies like Meituan and BlueRun Ventures began.
- June 2025：
- Unitree Robotics raised fresh capital in a Series C funding round.
- June 2025：
- The Tianjin embodied AI data factory opened, supported by the Tianjin government.
AI generated, for reference only
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