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Chinese Humanoid Robot Maker Unitree Shares Soar in Shanghai Debut

Science20 sourcesAug 19, 2026
FlatRigor 5420 sources

The Story

Unitree Robotics, a Chinese humanoid robot maker, made its stock market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday, with its shares ending the first day of trading up by more than 460%. The company's shares, initially offered at 150.80 yuan ($22.36) each, closed at 845 yuan ($125.40). Earlier in the day, shares went as high as 1,100 yuan ($163.23), a 629% increase. The listing on Shanghai's technology-focused STAR Market marks a milestone for Beijing's robotics industry ambitions. Unitree is the first humanoid robotics maker to go public on a mainland Chinese exchange. The debut values the company at about $50 billion. Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing, who owns about a fifth of the company, now has a paper wealth of over $12 billion. Unitree, officially known as Yushu Technology Co Ltd, was founded in 2016 and is based in Hangzhou. The firm shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots last year and reported a net profit of 278 million yuan in 2025. On Monday, Unitree unveiled its new "Superman" robot, which it says can jump more than 6.5 feet high and has a top speed of over 28 miles per hour. The U.S. banned imports of new foreign-made robots last month over national security concerns, cutting Unitree off from the U.S. market. The U.S. accounted for about 13% of Unitree's $250 million in revenue last year, according to its IPO prospectus. In June, the U.S. Defense Department added Unitree to a list of Chinese military companies, describing it as a contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base. This designation prohibits the U.S. military from contracting directly with Unitree. Unitree states its robots are for civilian use only. The IPO drew backing from Chinese AI company DeepSeek, which invested about 140.8 million yuan. Tencent is also an existing investor. Morgan Stanley in June raised its forecast for China's humanoid robot shipments to 50,000 units this year, nearly double its previous projection. The bank estimated China's humanoid robot market will grow from $2 billion this year to $15 billion by 2030.

The Spread

What they agree on

  • Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics made its stock market debut in Shanghai on Wednesday.
  • Unitree's shares surged on their first day of trading, closing up over 460%.
  • Unitree is the first humanoid robotics maker to list on a mainland Chinese exchange.
  • The company unveiled a new "Superman" humanoid robot on Monday, capable of high jumps and fast speeds.
  • The U.S. has banned imports of new foreign-made robots and added Unitree to a list of Chinese military companies.

Where they split

  • MarketWatch and Independent Source [1] report Unitree's stock soaring over 600% in its debut, while other outlets like Reuters and Bloomberg state the shares closed up over 460%.
  • NBC News and The Guardian emphasize the "backflipping" and martial arts capabilities of Unitree's robots, while other sources focus more broadly on its role as a humanoid robot maker.
  • CNBC provides specific figures for Morgan Stanley's forecast on China's humanoid robot market growth, a detail not included in all other articles.
  • Some international sources like MyJoyOnline and The Guardian Australia highlight the company's profitability and its role in Beijing's ambitions for advanced technology.

Source Perspectives

Left2 sources
Center16 sources
Right2 sources