Investors are getting bullish about humanoid robots with the same enthusiasm once reserved for electric cars, and China sits in the driver’s seat. The country’s makers dominate global shipments, turning sci-fi machines into everyday tools for factories, labs and even stage shows.
Unitree Robotics has seized the moment. The Hangzhou firm just launched its IPO on Shanghai’s STAR Market, pricing shares at 150.80 yuan (US$22.35) each. The deal values the company at roughly 61 billion yuan, or about US$9 billion, and aims to raise 6.1 billion yuan (US$900 million) by selling 40.45 million new shares.
Subscriptions opened on Aug. 10 with payment due shortly afterwards. Retail investors piled in so heavily that the online portion was more than 8,000 times oversubscribed, leaving most applicants with only a 0.018 per cent chance of winning shares.
Buyers remain optimistic about long-term gains. Unitree already leads in humanoid shipments while posting strong revenue growth as China’s domestic market and other export destinations continue to expand.
Even the Trump administration’s recent ban on new imports of foreign humanoid and quadruped robots has not cooled the mood. Investors bet that home demand and non-US sales will more than offset the lost American business.
uhhh… the Unitree IPO is more than 8000 times oversubscribed by retail investors.
The demand for pure play humanoid companies is absolutely enormous?
I'm personally in the US-based Agility Robotics club (Softbank, $NVDA, $AMZN, Foxconn, etc), at $2.5B premoney via $CCXI.… pic.twitter.com/kkQSfls4rO
— Serenity (@aleabitoreddit) August 11, 2026
Read more: Remote-controlled humanoid robots start cleaning homes in San Francisco
What sets Unitree apart
Unitree stands out for its early mastery of quadruped robots, or robo-dogs, where it still holds a commanding share.
The firm also makes many key components in-house, keeps prices competitive for the performance delivered, and has shipped thousands of humanoids and tens of thousands of quadrupeds. Its machines have also starred in high-profile martial-arts displays that captured public attention.
Challenges remain though. Users have reported overheating and durability problems under heavy use, and independent researchers have flagged cybersecurity weaknesses. These include vulnerabilities that could allow remote control or unwanted data sharing. These issues have drawn regulatory scrutiny abroad.
A wider Chinese robotics IPO wave
Unitree’s listing arrives as other Chinese robotics firms prepare their own public offerings.
Pudu, known for service robots, Coowa and Galbot are among those advancing plans. Additionally, humanoid developer Leju Robotics has filed for a ChiNext listing, Deep Robotics is pursuing the STAR Market and AgiBot is preparing for a Hong Kong debut.
Key domestic influences already trading shares include Ubtech Robotics Corp Ltd (OTCMKTS: UBTRF) (FRA: 7US) (HKG: 9880), factory robotics specialist Estun Automation Co Ltd (SHE: 002747) and industrial robot arms producer SIASUN Robot & Automation Co Ltd (SHE: 300024).
Read more: Stanford and KAIST researchers use robotics to dress people in 10 seconds
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