Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics made a blockbuster debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market on Wednesday, with its shares surging nearly sixfold as investors rushed to gain exposure to China’s rapidly expanding humanoid robotics industry.
The Hangzhou-based company priced its initial public offering at 150.80 yuan per share. Its stock opened at 1,100 yuan before pulling back to around 900 yuan in early trading, still representing a dramatic gain from its IPO price. Unitree raised roughly $900 million through the listing.
The strong debut highlights growing investor enthusiasm for robotics and embodied artificial intelligence in China, where humanoid machines are increasingly being viewed as a major emerging technology alongside semiconductors and generative AI.
From Robot Dogs to Humanoids
Founded in Hangzhou, Unitree has become one of China’s most recognizable robotics companies through its four-legged robotic dogs and increasingly sophisticated humanoid machines.
Its robots have attracted international attention for performing complex movements including running, dancing and martial arts. The company develops both humanoid and quadruped robots for research, industrial and other applications.
Unitree introduced another attention-grabbing machine shortly before its stock-market debut. Its new humanoid robot, called “Superman,” is claimed to be capable of jumping two metres from a standing position and reaching a running speed of 12.66 metres per second.
DeepSeek Among Unitree's Backers
Unitree has also attracted backing from some of China’s biggest technology names.
Chinese AI company DeepSeek invested 140.8 million yuan in Unitree as part of the IPO and agreed to cooperate with the robotics company on AI models and embodied intelligence technology.
Other prominent investors in Unitree include major Chinese technology groups, adding to expectations that the company could become an important player in the development of commercially viable humanoid robots.
Investor demand was already intense before Wednesday’s debut. Unitree’s retail IPO offering was heavily oversubscribed, reflecting strong appetite for companies linked to China’s robotics and AI push.
Robotics Becomes a New Investment Focus
Unitree’s successful listing comes as China places greater emphasis on advanced robotics as a strategic technology.
The company plans to direct IPO proceeds toward areas including intelligent robot models, robot-body technology, new robotics products and expanded manufacturing capacity.
The Shanghai debut could also serve as an important valuation benchmark for other Chinese robotics companies considering public listings.
Despite the enthusiasm, the sector still faces the challenge of turning increasingly capable humanoid machines into products that can be deployed economically at scale. Unitree’s first day of trading nevertheless shows that investors are willing to place significant bets on the technology’s long-term potential.
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