Unitree offers its G1 humanoid robot for $13.5K. | Source: Unitree
This week, Unitree Robotics made its debut on Shanghai’s STAR Market, closing its first day 460% higher. The company raised 6.1 billion yuan, around $905 million U.S., with its initial public offering. Unitree said it is the first major legged robotics company to go pubic.
Since it was founded in 2016, Unitree has made headlines for its low-costquadrupedandhumanoidrobots. The Hangzhou, China-basedcompany, formally Yushu Technology Co., is best known for its humanoids, which are used in research labs around the world.
You’ve likely seen videos of Unitree’sG1robot dancing, doing kung fu, or backflipping, among other things. In addition, the company offers robotichands, arms, andlidar.
Unitree this week also unveiled its latest robot, which it called “Superman” and said it developed in just three months. The humanoid can perform a standing jump of over 6 ft. (2 m) and reach a top speed of around 41 ft. per second (12.6 m/s or 27.9 mph).
TheIPOmarked a huge milestone for Unitree, but the company still faces many challenges as it continues to grow. It also raised questions about which humanoid companies, in the U.S. and abroad, will follow in its footsteps.
Unitree has gained a lot of momentum in recent years. It went from selling just five humanoids in 2023 to selling 5,215 in 2025, making it a world leader in humanoid robot sales.
Note, however, that around 70% of these robots went to universities and research institutions. Unitree’s robots have yet to prove they can stand up to hard industrial work.
Now, Unitree is facing more challenges when it comes to gaining momentum in the U.S. In July, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC,restrictedimports of certain robots produced in foreign countries. This includesmobile robotssuch as humanoids and quadrupeds. The ban applies to new devices, which means Unitree could have trouble selling its future models in the U.S.
“Unitree has proven it can sell robots. It hasn’t proven their operational durability, repeat business, or a use case that warrants deployment at scale,” said Nicolaus Radford, CEO ofPersona AI. “With the FCC threatening future U.S. sales, investors are being asked to take it on faith that [what appears to be] thousands of one-off sales will somehow become a sustainable business.’
Unitree Robotics isn’t the first humanoid developer to go public. In 2023,UBTech, a Shenzhen, China-based company, went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange. However, UBTech hasn’t seen the same momentum that Unitree has.
Last year, UBTech lost around $104 million,whileUnitree made a profit of around $41 million, a jump from the $14 million it made in 2024, and the $1.6 million it lost in 2023.