China is rapidly emerging as a global leader in embodied intelligence and humanoid robotics. In the country’s 15th Five‑Year Plan ( 2026-2030 ), embodied intelligence – AI systems that combine perception, reasoning, and action in the physical world – has been officially identified as one of six major future industries, reflecting its growing strategic importance. As the core carrier of this new technology, humanoid robots are moving from technological breakthroughs to large‑scale industrial adoption, marking a historic moment for commercialization and market growth.

This momentum was reflected in the 2025 China Robotics Industry Development Conference, held from November 10 to 12 in Shanghai. The event highlighted China’s strong government support and robust financing environment for the rapidly developing industry.

The country’s embodied intelligence market is expected to reach 5.3 billion yuan ( US$746 million ) in 2025, accounting for 27% of the global market. Meanwhile, the market size of humanoid robots in China is forecast to hit 8.24 billion yuan, representing roughly half of the world’s total, according to the 2025 Research Report on the Humanoid Robots and Embodied Intelligence Industry.

Investment activity in China’s robotics sector continues to surge as well. In the first eight months of 2025, total financing in the primary robotics market amounted to 38.62 billion yuan, or 1.8 times the total amount raised in 2024. The momentum shows no sign of slowing down. In September 2025 alone, nearly 30 financing deals were completed in the embodied intelligence and robotics sectors, with combined funding of nearly 4 billion yuan. Several deals exceeded 1 billion yuan, according to data from tech and financial news provider 36Kr, underscoring investors’ strong confidence in the sector’s future.

Among leading companies, UBTech Robotics, based in Shenzhen, has taken a significant step forward by officially announcing mass production and commercial deployment of its Walker S2 humanoid robot. Since early 2025, the Walker series has accumulated orders worth over 800 million yuan, placing UBTech at the forefront of global humanoid robot commercialization.

The company has established partnerships with leading enterprises such as BYD, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, Geely Auto, FAW‑Volkswagen, Audi FAW, BAIC New Energy, Foxconn, and SF Express, covering key sectors including new energy vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and smart logistics. UBTech, which listed in Hong Kong in 2023, has also seen its share price rise by 148% year-to-date.

Another emerging powerhouse is Unitree Robotics, widely regarded as one of the most promising players in the humanoid robot space. Since its founding in 2017, Unitree has completed multiple rounds of financing. Its Series C funding roundwas led by funds under China Mobile, Tencent, Jinqiu, Alibaba, Ant Group, and Geely Capital, and most of the old shareholders followed suit. The company plans to submit its IPO application by December, following the release of its financial data.

Meanwhile, other innovators such as Robot Era, DEEP Robotics, and Kepler Robotics are also contributing to the rapid evolution of China’s humanoid robotics ecosystem. Their diverse approaches and technological strengths are fostering healthy competition while expanding the scope of applications of embodied intelligence across industries.