Humanoid
Unitree Robotics made its debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market this week, closing its first day 460% higher and raising 6.1 billion yuan (about $905 million U.S.) in its initial public offering. The company claims to be the first major legged robotics company to go public, marking a significant milestone for the humanoid sector.
Founded in 2016 and formally known as Yushu Technology Co., the Hangzhou-based company is best known for its low-cost humanoid robots used in research labs worldwide. Its G1 robot, priced at $13.5K, has gained attention for dancing, doing kung fu, and backflipping. The company also offers robotic hands, arms, and lidar. This week, Unitree unveiled its latest robot, called Superman, developed in just three months, capable of a standing jump over 6 ft (2 m) and a top speed of about 41 ft per second (12.6 m/s or 27.9 mph).
Unitree will need to demonstrate that they can build safe, secure robots that customers can rely on in the tough industrial environments.
Despite the IPO success, Unitree faces challenges in proving its robots can handle industrial work. Sales grew from just five humanoids in 2023 to 5,215 in 2025, making it a world leader in humanoid sales, but around 70% went to universities and research institutions. Gavin Kenneally, CEO of Ghost Robotics, noted that fewer than 10% of Unitree’s sales are for commercial deployments, with most robots in labs and lobbies. The IPO raises questions about which other humanoid companies might follow, but Unitree must still demonstrate reliability in demanding industrial settings.
Source: The Robot Report