Chinese robot-maker Unitree Robotics made a blockbuster debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market on Wednesday, with shares surging more than 600% in early trading, the BBC reported.
The company, officially Yushu Technology Co. Ltd., was founded in 2016 in Hangzhou and builds humanoid and quadruped robots, robotic arms and sensors. It has become a leading name in humanoid robotics, shipping over 5,500 humanoid units last year and posting a net profit of 278 million yuan in 2025.
The listing is a milestone for China’s booming robotics sector: it’s the first time mainland investors have had direct public-market access to a humanoid robotics manufacturer. Rival UBTech Robotics listed in Hong Kong in 2023, and other Chinese robotics firms are eyeing their own IPOs.
Unitree’s debut comes amid a wave of Chinese investment in robotics and AI. Beijing sees robotics as strategically vital — both for industrial automation and as a long-term hedge against labor shortages from an aging population.
Still, the humanoid robotics market is young. Industrial and commercial uses are expected to mature well before household adoption, which faces hurdles such as reliability, battery life, and privacy.
