Unitree Robotics made a spectacular debut on Shanghai's stock market on Wednesday, with shares soaring 542% in early trading as investors piled into the Chinese humanoid robot maker. The sharp rise comes amid growing enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and next-generation robotics in China.
The Hangzhou-based company raised around 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million) through its initial public offering, according to the company's prospectus. Unitree shares traded at 968.1 yuan apiece after touching a high of 1,100 yuan during the session.
Unitree is known for its humanoid robots, which can walk, dance and perform backflips. The company has become one of China's most visible robotics companies, attracting attention both domestically and internationally.
DeepSeek Invests In Unitree IPO
Unitree's market debut also comes with backing from prominent Chinese technology investors. AI company DeepSeek invested about 140.8 million yuan in the IPO, according to a company filing. Existing investors in the robotics maker also include technology major Tencent.
The company develops a range of robots, from two-legged humanoid machines equipped to handle objects with dexterous hands to four-legged robots designed for applications such as detecting hazards.
Just before its listing, Unitree introduced a new humanoid model called “Superman”. The company said the robot is capable of jumping two metres vertically from a stationary position and can reach speeds of up to 12.66 metres per second.
China's Humanoid Robot Market Set To Expand
Unitree's blockbuster debut follows another strong technology listing on Shanghai's STAR Market, which was that of memory chipmaker CXMT. The stock jumped 466% on the first day of trading.
Having said that, the entire robotics industry is witnessing robust growth and has higher growth expectations for the future as well. Morgan Stanley almost doubled its estimate to 50,000 units for China's humanoid robot shipments this year, against its earlier projection of 28,000 units.
The investment bank expects the Chinese humanoid robot market to expand from $2 billion in 2026 to $15 billion by 2030. It also expects pilot programmes to progress towards wider adoption during the second half of this year.
Full-size humanoid robots are projected to make up around 30% of shipments initially, with that share expected to climb to 70% by 2028.
Unitree's debut reflects the growing market interest in China's humanoid robotics sector as companies move to develop increasingly capable machines for real-world applications.
Also Read: Humanoid IPO Race: Why Unitree Is Leading A Wave Of Chinese Robotics Firm To The Public Markets
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