Beijing: China's robotics industry is experiencing rapid growth, fueled by increasing market demand, robust capital support, and accelerated commercialisation in both industrial and service sectors, as industry analysts noted on Tuesday.
According to Emirates News Agency, AGILINK, a manufacturer of dexterous robotic hands in China, has raised hundreds of millions of yuan in a recent funding round, elevating its valuation to over $1 billion and achieving unicorn status. This represents the company's fourth funding round since its establishment in January 2026, as reported by the company to the Global Times on Tuesday.
AGILINK plans to use the new capital to develop large-language models for dexterous hands, build open-source datasets, upgrade hardware products, and expedite large-scale deployment in industrial automation, service robotics, and specialized operations. The company, a subsidiary of AGIBOT, a leading humanoid robotics maker in China, has delivered over 8,000 dexterous hands and more than 10,000 grippers, with more than 1,000 units deployed in industrial, logistics, and service scenarios since its founding.
The embodied intelligence sector in China continues to capture strong investor interest. Industry data indicates that more than 50 financing events occurred in the first quarter of 2026, involving over 30 companies and totaling 20 billion yuan ($2.94 billion), marking a nearly 60 percent increase from the previous year.
In another development highlighting the sector's growth, Xianheng International Science and Technology Co announced its embodied intelligence business aims to generate 1.5 billion to 2 billion yuan in revenue over the next five years, as reported by domestic media outlet Jiemian News on Tuesday. The company plans to invest in a domestic robotics unicorn and has established a broad strategic partnership with Hangzhou-based DEEP Robotics. In 2026, Xianheng intends to assist DEEP Robotics in selling 100 robot dogs at an average price of 900,000 to 1 million yuan, primarily for power grid inspection and related uses, according to Jiemian News.
Tian Feng, former dean of SenseTime's Intelligence Industry Research Institute, stated that 2026 is considered a pivotal year for mass production and large-scale validation in embodied intelligence. He emphasized that China's advantage in the global embodied intelligence race lies not in a single technical parameter but in the depth of manufacturing scenarios, the completeness of the supply chain, and the efficiency of coordination between capital and industry.
Tian also noted that competition in embodied intelligence is shifting from full-stack humanoid robot development toward modular specialization. Dexterous hands, accounting for about 20 percent of the total cost of a humanoid robot, are seen as a critical factor determining both the intelligence ceiling and practical usability of the entire machine.
Wang Feili, an industrial sector analyst with UBS Securities China, highlighted new characteristics in China's embodied intelligence financing landscape this year. Robot makers are focusing on AI large-language models, while component suppliers concentrate on core parts such as dexterous hands. Wang added that robot leasing is emerging as a business model, helping manufacturers sell products and allowing original equipment manufacturers to reach different customers faster and obtain data more efficiently.
China's robotics sector is expected to expand from $47 billion in 2024 to $108 billion by 2028, indicating a 23 percent annual growth rate, according to Morgan Stanley.