Unitree's humanoid robots have been at the centre of a huge marketing push<\/p>\n
The world's biggest humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics made its stock market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, with its shares soaring by more than 600%.<\/p>\n
In the highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO), the Chinese firm's shares opened at 1,100 yuan (\u00a3120.60; $163.12), well above the 150.8 yuan offer price.<\/p>\n
The listing on the tech-focused Star Market – which is widely known as China's Nasdaq – marks a milestone for Beijing's ambitious plans for the country's robotics industry.<\/p>\n
It comes as the US and China are locked in a battle to dominate the global market for robots and artificial intelligence (AI) models that power them.<\/p>\n
Unitree's debut marks the first humanoid robot maker to be listed in mainland China.<\/p>\n
Robots like automated industrial equipment and smart vacuum cleaners are already widely used in factories, warehouses and homes.<\/p>\n
Now, the humanoid robotics industry is attracting huge amounts of investment as major companies – including Tesla, BYD and Amazon – are developing two-legged machines capable of performing tasks usually carried out by people.<\/p>\n
Unitree, officially known as Yushu Technology Co Ltd, was founded in 2016.<\/p>\n
It has become a robotics industry leader, selling a wide range of devices from sensors and automated arms to four-legged and human-like machines.<\/p>\n
The firm shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots last year as demand for the technology grows.<\/p>\n
Unitree is one of the few companies in the sector to make money, delivering a net profit of 278 million yuan in 2025.<\/p>\n
It is a fierce rival to developers in the US as it produces robots with similar features but at lower prices.<\/p>\n
The company – which plays a key role in Beijing's ambitions to be a global leader in cutting-edge technologies – is based in Hangzhou, in eastern China.<\/p>\n
The region is home to a so-called golden cluster zone of robotics firms, which have been boosted by huge government investments.<\/p>\n