Shares of Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company specializing in humanoid robots, experienced a significant rise during its trading debut in Shanghai. This surge reflects investor interest in a company working at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence technology.
Unitree’s stock price climbed nearly 500%, valuing the company at approximately $53 billion. Just earlier this month, the company set its initial public offering price at about $22 per share, aiming to raise around $900 million and placing its valuation at about $9 billion initially. At peak levels, the stock price increased by as much as 629%.
Lian Jye Su, an analyst from Omdia, noted, “Unitree shows strong fundamentals and technology. Yet, there’s a speculative excitement driving this initial trading day.” This excitement partly stems from enthusiastic Chinese retail investors ready to invest at nearly any cost.
This development with Unitree follows in the wake of another company benefiting from China’s AI advancements. Less than a month ago, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China’s leading producer of memory chips, saw its shares soar by 470% on its first trading day. This increase reflects the intense global demand for chips essential in AI systems.
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding Unitree shares, doubts linger about the broader market potential for humanoid robots. Currently, many robots are still under pilot testing in factories instead of large-scale deployment. Unitree, headquartered in Hangzhou, is known for conducting impressive demonstrations of its machines. These showcases, featuring their robots performing kung fu and stunts, have garnered substantial online attention.
Unitree’s business, though gaining notice, remains modest, with about $250 million in revenue in 2025. The company saw significant sales growth and attained profitability despite facing fierce competition from both Chinese and American humanoid robot startups.
Analysts anticipate the humanoid robot industry will expand significantly. CLSA predicts that the global market will grow to $69 billion by 2030, up from around $2 billion today.
Governments also recognize humanoid robots as crucial technology. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission announced a plan to prohibit new imports of foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing national security issues. Unitree highlighted this risk in its IPO filing, indicating potential bans on its models in the US. Currently, the majority of its sales occur within China, though American buyers contributed to 13% of its sales last year.
Steve Lohr, the article’s main author, reports on technology and its influence on the economy, employment, and workplaces.