Unitree IPO a boost to robotics sector

Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has received regulatory approval to proceed with its initial public offering, clearing the final hurdle to become China's first publicly listed humanoid robotics company.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission approved on Thursday Unitree's registration for its IPO on Shanghai's STAR Market, allowing the company to launch investor bookbuilding and share issuance within the next 12 months after completing the country's listing review process.

The approval came just 104 days after the IPO application was accepted on March 20, with the company passing its listing hearing in 73 days, marking the fastest review under the STAR Market's pre-review mechanism.

Unitree plans to raise 4.202 billion yuan ($619.8 million) to expand production of humanoid robots, strengthen embodied artificial intelligence research and development, and build new manufacturing facilities.

At least 10 percent of the company's shares will be offered in the IPO.

The Hangzhou-based company has emerged as the global leader in humanoid robot shipments, according to its prospectus, as Chinese robotics firms accelerate commercialization efforts amid growing demand from manufacturers, logistics operators and service industries.

The listing is expected to strengthen Unitree's technological and manufacturing capabilities as competition intensifies in the global humanoid robotics market, where Chinese companies are seeking to scale up production and reduce costs before the technology reaches mass adoption, industry experts said.

Shares of a group of Chinese robotics companies surged on Friday, with more than 40 stocks hitting their daily limits. According to Wind data, the Robot ETF recorded net capital inflows for a second consecutive trading day.

Unitree's overseas push has begun moving beyond demonstrations into real-world industrial testing.

Codeveloped humanoid robots recently entered Tokyo's Haneda Airport for trial operations launched by Japan Airlines, the company said. The robots are being tested for ground handling operations including baggage loading and unloading, cargo transport and conveyor coordination, with trials scheduled to continue through 2028.

Unitree said its G1 robot's flexibility, load capacity and force control capabilities allow it to adapt efficiently to complex airport environments while helping ease labor shortages and reduce worker burden.

The company described the deployment as the first commercial application of a Chinese humanoid robot inside a major global aviation hub.

According to the 2025 humanoid robot market research report released by CCID Media, a division of the China Center for Information Industry Development, China had more than 140 humanoid robot manufacturers in 2025, with total shipments reaching 14,400 units, accounting for 84.7 percent of the global market.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Chinese humanoid robot manufacturers had launched over 330 product models by 2025.

In 2026, more than half of China's provinces and cities have incorporated embodied intelligence and robotics development into their government work reports.

Wei Kai, head of the AI research institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said: "China's humanoid robots have made significant strides in motor control capabilities, which can be seen in recent events. The evolution of the 'brain' is also very fast. Hierarchical models and end-to-end models have progressed under data-driven paradigms."

Wei said China has established 27 data-collection sites nationwide to support training of embodied AI systems, signaling an effort to industrialize the learning pipeline behind the hardware.