SCMP / Economic Times
Major
RoboticsChinaIPOHumanoidsUnitree Surges Over 600% on Shanghai Debut, Valuation Hits $66B
August 19, 20263 min read
Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree soared more than 600% on its Shanghai STAR Market debut after raising over $900 million, pushing its valuation to approximately $66 billion.
Why it matters
The explosive IPO underscores massive investor appetite for embodied AI and humanoid robotics, one of the next major frontiers beyond pure language models.
Unitree Robotics shares surged more than 600% on their first day of trading on Shanghai’s STAR Market on August 19, 2026. The company raised over $900 million in its IPO and saw its valuation jump from roughly $9 billion at pricing to about $66 billion at the close of the debut session.
Unitree has become one of the most visible players in humanoid robotics, known for viral demonstrations of robots that run, dance, and perform martial arts. The company also recently unveiled a new humanoid called “Superman,” claiming high jump and sprint capabilities.
The explosive market reaction signals strong belief that physical AI and humanoid robots are entering a commercial phase, and that Chinese firms are positioned to compete aggressively in the space.