In this articleINTCNVDAMETAGOOGL your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTHumanoid robot from Unitree Robotics after a boxing match during the World Smart Industry Expo 2025 at Chongqing International Expo Center in Chongqing, China on September 7, 2025.
China News Service | China News Service | Getty ImagesUnitree Robotics, one of China's hottest nology startups, is planning an initial public offering that could value the company at up to 50 billion yuan ($7 billion), and help establish itself as a global leader in humanoid robots.
So-called humanoid robots are artificial intelligence-powered machines designed to resemble humans in appearance and movement, with applications in the industrial and service sectors.Zhejiang-based Unitree has established itself as a leader in China's humanoid robot space, and its listing plans could make it one of the first companies specializing in the nology to go public.The company's fresh valuation target, first reported by Reuters, citing two people with knowledge of the plans, would mark a sharp jump from its fundraising round reported on in June.
At the time, the company had attracted major backers such as Geely, Alibaba and Tencent.Unitree, in a post on its X account on Aug.
27, outlined its plans to IPO, saying that it was actively advancing listing preparations and was expecting to submit the application documents in the fourth quarter of the year.It remains un how much Unitree is seeking to raise in the IPO.
The company recently told local Chinese media that it's been fitable since 2020 and now has revenues exceeding 1 billion Chinese yuan ($140.35 million).Unitree did not respond to CNBC's request for .An offering of this size would be one of the largest Chinese listings in recent years.
The mainland stock market has been gradually reviving ing years of tightened regulatory scrutiny and volatility.Unitree's listing plan also comes as Beijing steps up efforts to support its local champions in artificial intelligence-related industries.
Its founder, Wang Xingxing, was reportedly among a group of leaders who att a rare meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year.In 2023, China's Ministry of Industry and Information nology issued guidelines for humanoid robots, calling for "duction at scale" by 2025.Competition heats upUnitree is part of a wave of Chinese humanoid robot companies, including Agibot, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics and Galbot, a Beijing-based robotics start-up backed by the Hong Kong government.These companies have been rushing to get their robots deployed in factories across China.
EV makers BYD and Geely have already reportedly deployed some of Unitree's humanoid robots at their duction lines.Meanwhile, Chinese humanoid robots have taken center stage in recent publicized events such as the World Robot Conference and World Humanoid Robot Games.
As these companies rush to get their robots deployed in factories across China, an IPO could help Unitree establish itself as China's leading firm in humanoid robots, according to Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at independent analyst and consultancy firm Omdia.
"Unitree is one of the world's leading vendors in mobile robots and it will ly be a top player in the humanoid robotics sector," he said.
According to estimates from Omdia, a total of 15,000 units are expected to be shipped this year, with Unitree's second only to its domestic competitor Agibot.
Competition is also heating up internationally. The U.S. has seen its own burgeoning humanoid robot players, such as Boston Dynamics and Figure AI, emerge.
However, Tesla's Optimus appears to be leading the pack in commercial readiness, with CEO Elon Musk previously stating plans to duce 5,000 units this year.watch now4:1204:12Nvidia-powered Galbot hedges against U.S.
trade risks with a diversified supply-chainThe China ConnectionHowever, analysts have previously told CNBC that China has established an early lead in the humanoid robotics space in terms of commercial ducts and pricing.A re note from Morgan Stanley last month said that the Unitree G1 was ly the most used humanoid robot globally, given its low $16,000 starting price point.
Tesla's Optimus Gen2 humanoid robot is expected to cost at least $20,000.Meanwhile, Unitree recently unveiled a new humanoid, the Unitree R1, with a starting price of $5,900.
According to Morgan Stanley, while these cheaper humanoids may not be the most advanced, they will be valuable for Unitree to collect critical data needed to train its next generation of robot models.
Still, while China may have an early lead in the commercial success of humanoid robots, analysts note that the U.S. has strengths in the broader AI robotics environment. The U.S.
has strong chipset makers Nvidia and Intel, hyperscalers such as Google and Meta, and robotics software vendors such as Physical Intelligence and Skild AI, which give it an "equally, if not more robust" overall humanoid robot ecosystem, said Omdia analyst Su.
For example, Chinese humanoid robot makers – including Unitree Robotics – have become early adopters of Nvidia's humanoid robot nologies.
That includes Nvidia's recently released Jetson AGX Thor platform, which enables their machines to have real-time, intelligent interactions with people.
Merrill Lynch analysts estimated in a recent re note that global humanoid robot shipments will reach 18,000 units in 2025 from 2,500 units the year prior.
It also estimates a global robot population of 3 billion by 2060.