Shares of Chinese robotics maker Unitree soar 600% on stock market debut

Shares of Chinese company Unitree, which makes humanoid and four-legged robots, surged more than 600% on their very first day of trading. The firm, based in the tech hub of Changzhou, priced its shares at 150.8 yuan (467 CZK), but shortly after trading began, the price shot up to 1,100 yuan (3,410 CZK).

The listing raised roughly 6.1 billion yuan (18.91 billion CZK) for Unitree, and following its debut, the company's market value climbed to nearly 50 billion dollars (1.05 trillion CZK).

Cheaper than American rivals

Unitree poses stiff competition for American robotics developers, offering devices with similar capabilities at significantly lower prices. Its lineup includes bipedal humanoid robots capable of walking and manipulating objects with nimble hands, as well as four-legged robots used for tasks such as detecting hazardous situations.

According to Fei Qin, an associate professor at the University of Bath, robots could serve as a partial solution to China's aging population problem, which she predicts will lead to labor shortages in the country. Beijing, for its part, views robotics as a "strategic priority" in the race for leadership in advanced technology.

"Robots are where AI leaves the screen and enters the economy," Qin said, adding that robots are already being used in factories and hospitals and could eventually find their way into homes as well.

A robot named Superman

Shortly before its stock market debut, Unitree unveiled a new humanoid robot called Superman, which developers claim can jump two meters into the air from a standing position and run at speeds of up to 12.66 meters per second.

The successful IPO comes amid intensifying technological rivalry between China and the US in the field of humanoid robotics. Analysts nonetheless caution that commercial applications for such robots remain limited for now, with most devices currently used for research, exhibitions and demonstrations. Whether companies can roll them out at scale in factories, logistics or healthcare will only become clear in the coming years.

US restrictions failed to derail success

Unitree's stock market debut came shortly after US authorities restricted imports of new models of Chinese humanoid and four-legged robots on security grounds. Despite this, investors are betting that Chinese companies will secure key positions in the coming era of humanoid robotics.

Unitree has become a symbol of China's technological ambitions and its growing rivalry with American players such as Tesla and Boston Dynamics. The company ranks among the world's largest makers of humanoid and four-legged robots, with its machines gaining fame for their ability to run, dance, perform martial arts moves and even backflips. Last year Unitree shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots and remains one of the few profitable companies in the industry.

The company was founded in Changzhou in 2016 by entrepreneur Wang Xingxing, with sales of humanoid robots beginning in 2023. For the full year 2025, Unitree posted net profit of 278 million yuan (862 million CZK).

Source: novinky.cz