116,000 New Humanoid Robotics Companies Launched in First Half of 2026; China Accounts for Over 97% of Global Shipments

In the first half of 2026, 116,000 new enterprises were established in the humanoid robotics sector, up 9.5% year-over-year. During the same period, a total of 561,000 new enterprises related to China’s “Eight Emerging Industries + Nine Future Industries” were registered nationwide. Domestic embodied intelligence startups raised a total of RMB 93.5 billion across 322 funding rounds in H1 2026, representing a fivefold and 137% year-over-year increase, respectively. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), domestic production of humanoid robots exceeded 40,000 units in H1 2026, with annual output expected to surpass 100,000 units. According to market research firm Smart Analytics Global, global shipments of humanoid robots reached approximately 19,100 units in H1 2026, with Chinese companies accounting for over 97% of the total. Agile Robots shipped 8,400 units in the first half, capturing a 44% global market share, while Unitree Robotics shipped 5,900 units. Unitree Robotics set its STAR Market IPO price at RMB 150.80 per share, planning to issue 40.4464 million new shares and raise approximately RMB 6.099 billion. Online investors renounced subscriptions for 8,734 shares, amounting to RMB 1.3171 million, which was underwritten by the sponsor. Zi Variable Robotics recently submitted a confidential listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Founded in December 2023 and headquartered in Shenzhen, the company has launched its "Quantum One" and "Quantum Two" humanoid robots and plans to unveil its third-generation product in Q4 2026. Mech-Mind Robotics (Xiong’an) Co., Ltd. received approval from China’s Securities Regulatory Commission on August 7 for its Hong Kong listing filing. The company intends to issue no more than 27.4799 million overseas-listed ordinary shares and convert 89.9242 million unlisted domestic shares into overseas-listed shares. Its embodied intelligence products have been deployed in over 27,000 installations globally. Li Auto’s second-generation Livis AI glasses are expected to launch in the second half of 2027, with ongoing efforts to natively integrate HarmonyOS and enable vehicle-glasses联动 parking features. Guangdong Huilun Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of GAC Group, was established in February 2026 and recently completed a financing round exceeding RMB 100 million. Its fourth-generation wheeled-legged humanoid robot, GoMate Mini, has been deployed in nearly 50 units across seven projects, operating continuously for up to 12 months, and has secured orders worth nearly RMB 100 million. Embodied intelligence startup Yuanli Infinite announced on August 14 that it had completed Series A and A+ funding rounds totaling nearly RMB 1 billion. The proceeds will support the development of its embodied brain platform AtomBrain, causal world models, and scaled validation of multi-form robot deliveries. On August 12, SiEngine Technology announced that its automotive-grade 7nm AI acceleration chip, “Tiangong-100,” has entered mass production and commenced volume shipments to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. WeRide reported revenue of RMB 230 million in Q2 2026, up 82% year-over-year and 103% quarter-over-quarter. Its overseas revenue surged 154% year-over-year in H1 2026, with Q2 overseas revenue rising 169% quarter-over-quarter. Its Robotaxi operations now span 13 countries and over 60 cities globally, with a fleet of approximately 400 vehicles in the Middle East.