The Unitree G1 humanoid eventually month’s Robotics Summit & Expo. Supply: WTWH Media
Advances in robotic locomotion have led to elevated curiosity in quadrupeds and humanoids. YuShu Know-how Co., which does enterprise as Unitree Robotics, final week reportedly raised an unspecified quantity of Collection C funding, bringing its valuation to about 12 billion yuan, or $1.7 billion U.S.
The Hangzhou, China-based firm has grown from one individual in 2016 to greater than 1,000 workers, famous Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, on the 2025 Summer season Davos Discussion board in Tianjin, China. Unitree additionally claimed that it has reached 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in annual income.
Wang acknowledged that large-scale deployments of legged robots have but to happen, however he asserted that expertise improvement and steady enchancment should align with market demand, in response to Tech In Asia. Wang additionally mentioned that Unitree expects growing competitors within the legged robotic market.
Unitree focuses on inexpensive robots
Unitree’s robots are identified for being as much as 50% cheaper than different methods, beginning at $16,000. They’ve discovered traction within the schooling, analysis and improvement, and amenities inspection markets.
In Could 2025, Unitree demonstrated the G1 humanoid on the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, and its robots participated of their first boxing match. It has described the H1 system as its “first common humanoid robotic,” with steady over-the-air (OTA) software program updates.
Along with its quadruped robots, Unitree has developed the Go-2-W, which mixes 4 legs with wheels to function in additional terrain sorts. The corporate additionally sells the Z1 robotic arms and the L2 4D lidar scanners, in addition to elements and providers.
Not like many different humanoids, Unitree’s methods are already obtainable for buy. Wang mentioned that synthetic intelligence will assist Unitree’s humanoids and quadrupeds study new behaviors for widening use instances throughout industries.
Traders nonetheless bullish on humanoids
China Cell’s fund, Tencent, Alibaba, Ant Group, Geely Capital, HongShan Capital, and Jinqiu Capital led Unitree’s Collection C spherical, mentioned the corporate. Present shareholders additionally participated, and reviews credited Unitree’s dancing robots at China’s Spring Pageant Gala for exciting investor curiosity. Some estimates put the spherical at $97.6 million.
“Our final purpose is to have AI-powered robots tackle arduous work for people, however earlier than that’s achievable, collaborating in performances permits us to showcase actual technological progress and generate some business worth,” mentioned Wang earlier this month.
Unitree might use the funding to additional broaden manufacturing and refine its software program, wrote Late Submit. The firm additionally plans to focus on the buyer and family markets.
As with estimates of when humanoids would possibly come to market and in what numbers, forecasts of the scale of the humanoid robotic market range broadly. That whole market might exceed $5 trillion by 2030, predicted Morgan Stanley. Others are extra skeptical; The Analysis Insights mentioned the market might attain $4 billion by 2030.
As compared, Boston Dynamics was valued at $1.1 billion when it was acquired by Hyundai Motor Group in 2021, and Determine AI is in talks for $1.5 billion in new funding at a valuation of $39.5 billion.
Whereas Tesla CEO Elon Musk has mentioned that the Optimus humanoid will make Tesla a “$25 trillion firm,” Milan Kovac, its head of Optimus improvement, introduced this month that he’s leaving to “spend extra time with household overseas.”
