TECH

China’s Robot Era Valued at Over 10 Billion Yuan

Published: Mar. 5, 2026 6:09 p.m. GMT+8

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Embodied artificial intelligence startup Robot Era has reached a valuation of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) after completing a 1 billion yuan strategic funding round.

The milestone highlights a surging investor appetite for China’s humanoid robotics sector, where startups are capitalizing on an increasingly mature supply chain to overcome core manufacturing hurdles and shift focus toward mass commercial production.

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Robot Era, an embodied AI startup founded in 2023, reached a valuation of over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) after a 1 billion yuan funding round.
The company specializes in logistics robots, with international and domestic investors, and launched a robot hand that achieves 70% human working efficiency.
Robot Era’s Ctrl-World model ranked first globally for embodied tasks in WorldArena 2026, highlighting innovation beyond traditional learning approaches.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Robot Era: Robot Era is an embodied artificial intelligence startup founded in August 2023 by Chen Jianyu, an assistant professor at Tsinghua University. It has achieved a valuation of over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) after a strategic funding round. The company develops robots for logistics and has cumulative orders exceeding 500 million yuan, with half from overseas. It's known for its direct-drive dexterous robot hand and the Ctrl-World model for enhanced generalization capabilities.

Samsung: Samsung is an international investor that participated in the strategic funding round for Robot Era, an embodied artificial intelligence startup. This funding round, which raised 1 billion yuan, increased Robot Era's valuation to over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion).

Gaocheng Capital: Gaocheng Capital (高盛资本) is an investor in the embodied artificial intelligence startup Robot Era. They participated in a 1 billion yuan strategic funding round, alongside other domestic and international investors like Samsung, Singtel, Woori Capital, and Fenghe Capital.

Singtel: Singtel participated as an investor in a strategic funding round for Robot Era, an embodied artificial intelligence startup. This highlights Singtel's involvement in the growing humanoid robotics sector, particularly within ventures demonstrating significant investor interest and aiming for mass commercial production.

Woori Capital: Woori Capital is an international investor that participated in the 1 billion yuan strategic funding round for Robot Era, an AI startup. This investment highlights the growing international interest in China's humanoid robotics sector.

Fenghe Capital: Fenghe Capital is an investor in Robot Era, an embodied artificial intelligence startup. They participated in a strategic funding round that helped Robot Era reach a valuation of over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion). This investment highlights a growing interest in China's humanoid robotics sector.

Geely Capital: Geely Capital (吉利资本) led a nearly 1 billion yuan Series A+ funding round for Robot Era in November 2025. This investment demonstrates Geely Capital's involvement in the burgeoning humanoid robotics sector, supporting startups that leverage mature supply chains for mass commercial production.

SF Express Co. Ltd.: SF Express Co. Ltd. is mentioned as a collaborator with Robot Era. They are working together to deploy the world’s first embodied AI customs inspection solution for cross-border cargoes, indicating SF Express's involvement in innovative logistics technology.

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What Happened When

August 2023：: Robot Era was founded by Chen Jianyu.

November 2025：: Robot Era completed a nearly 1 billion yuan Series A+ funding round led by Geely Capital.

February 2026：: Ctrl-World, developed in partnership with Stanford University’s Chelsea Finn team, ranked first globally in embodied tasks and second in comprehensive capabilities as a world model in the WorldArena assessment.

March 5, 2026：: Robot Era announced the completion of a 1 billion yuan strategic funding round, reaching a valuation of more than 10 billion yuan.

AI generated, for reference only