Chinese Humanoid Robot Firm Unitree Goes Public

Chinese humanoid robot company Unitree saw its stock price surge on its first day of listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market (China's NASDAQ) on the 19th. It jumped over 460% compared to the IPO price, recording a market capitalization of approximately 65 trillion to 70 trillion won. Starting the day with an IPO price of 150.8 yuan, Unitree's stock soared as high as 1,100 yuan at the opening bell, but after repeated volatility—including trading halts and a retreat to the 800 yuan range—it eventually closed at 845 yuan.

In major workplaces across China, robots are taking over human tasks. Unitree robots deployed in unmanned cafes perform the task of making up to 202 cups of coffee per hour and placing them on shelves. At logistics centers, including those in Guangzhou, robots manage entire logistics lines, processing between 1,200 and 1,400 packages per hour. A logistics center official stated that the robots autonomously perform complex processes such as identifying, gripping, and flipping objects.

Founder Wang Xingxing, born in 1990, has amassed a fortune worth over 20 trillion won by retaining a 33.3% stake following this listing. Wang Xingxing stated that the company's goal is to have robots share the burden of high-intensity and high-risk physical labor, allowing humans to focus on creative activities.

Unitree plans to invest the majority of the approximately 6.1 billion yuan (1.2 trillion won) raised during the listing process into developing the artificial intelligence (AI) 'brains' for its robots. Additionally, the company has formed a strategic partnership with AI startup DeepSeek, receiving an investment of 30 billion won to jointly develop AI models for humanoid robots.