China’s Unitree soars in market debut as investors bet on humanoid robots

What the report says

China’s Unitree Robotics made a striking market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, with shares jumping more than 620% at one point before closing up 460% on the tech-focused STAR Market, according to Al Jazeera. The Hangzhou-based company’s listing lifted its valuation to as much as 445 billion yuan ($66 billion), far above the roughly 61 billion yuan price implied by its initial public offering. Al Jazeera said the offering was the first public listing in mainland China by a humanoid robotics company.

Unitree, founded in 2016 by engineer Wang Xingxing, is known for robots that have drawn attention online for dancing and martial arts demonstrations. The company said last year that it had shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots worldwide, and it unveiled a new model this week called Superman, which it says can jump two metres and run 12.66 metres per second.

The strong debut reflects growing investor interest in humanoid robotics and in China’s broader push for advanced technology. Al Jazeera noted that Unitree’s main rivals include China’s AgiBot and U.S. companies such as Tesla and Boston Dynamics. Analysts cited by the outlet said the company stands out because it already has revenue, profitability and meaningful production volume, though it still faces the challenge of turning manufacturing strength into wider commercial use.

The report also placed the listing in a geopolitical context, noting that robotics has become a contested area in U.S.-China tech competition and that the Trump administration recently banned imports of Chinese-made humanoid robots on national security grounds.