The humanoid robot sector is experiencing a dramatic uptick in investment activity, signaling a pivotal shift toward widespread commercialization. In recent weeks, a flurry of financing announcements from key players has captivated market attention, underscoring the industry’s growing momentum. Beijing-based Acceleration Evolution Technology Co., Ltd. (Acceleration Evolution) recently concluded a Series A funding round, while Sichuan Embodied Humanoid Robot Technology Co., Ltd. (Embodied Technology) and Luming Robot Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Luming Robot) have also secured fresh capital, marking a surge in investor confidence.
Data from Beijing-based IT Juzi reveals that as of June 5, 2025, the domestic market has witnessed 59 investment events in the humanoid robot domain, with aggregate funding reaching billions of yuan. This surge reflects a broader global trend, in which AI breakthroughs and policy support are converging to create a “historical inflection point” for the industry, according to Wang Lei, a member of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence. “The exponential growth in financing mirrors the sector’s transition from R&D to real-world deployment, with both startups and listed firms racing to dominate core value chains,” he notes.
Capital Frenzy: Startups Secure Rapid Fire Funding
Capital enthusiasm for humanoid robots has reached a fever pitch, with startups demonstrating exceptional fundraising prowess. Embodied Technology announced a tens-of-millions-yuan angel round in late May, earmarking the funds to launch a robot integrated with an in-house emotional cognition system by year-end. Concurrently, Luming Robot closed an “Angel++” round, standing out with three funding rounds in six months and backing from heavyweight investors like InnoAngel Fund and Fosun Ruizheng. Founded in 2024, Luming specializes in humanoid robots and core components such as robotic joints and visual-tactile modules. Its full-size bipedal LUS series is in pre-mass production, slated for commercial rollout in 2025.
Acceleration Evolution’s Series A financing, led by Shenzhen Venture Capital Group, will fuel product iteration and scaled manufacturing. This capital influx aligns with a global investment boom: as of May 30, 2025, over 300 robot-related funding events worldwide have generated more than 20 billion yuan, with China accounting for over 82% of the activity, per data from Shanghai Xiniu Information Technology. 天眼查 (Tianyancha) adds that China now hosts over 900,000 robot-related enterprises, with 100,000 new entries in the first five months of 2025—up 44% year-on-year.
Such investment has translated directly into commercial traction. Shanghai Qingbao Engine Robot has secured 50 million yuan in orders since 年初 (the start of the year), deploying robots in cultural tourism, education, and pilot elderly care scenarios. Industry reports echo this trend: Yushu’s tender wins in 2025 near its 2024 total, Songyan Dynamics’ N2 robot orders exceed 2,000 units, and Leju Robot’s Q1 2025 orders surge 200% year-on-year. “2025 will be a breakthrough year for humanoid robot commercialization, with mass deployment in smart factories and home companionship on the horizon,” predicts Hong Yong, a think tank expert at the China Digital-Real Economy Integration 50 Forum.
Commercialization Frontiers: From Lab to Real-World Scenarios
While 2025 is hailed as the “mass production 元年 (first year)” for humanoid robots, large-scale commercialization still faces hurdles. Technical bottlenecks persist in decision-making interaction, motion control, and core execution systems. Cost structures remain prohibitive: Tesla’s Optimus robot carries an estimated 整机 (full machine) cost of over 400,000 yuan, with 55% attributed to joint modules alone. “China’s humanoid robot tech ecosystem—encompassing ‘brain-cerebellum-limb’ architectures—is complete, but limited training data and hardware constraints restrict real-world functionality,” says Zhang Chiyu, Dean of the Beijing Zhitong Gongda Intelligent Transmission Technology Research Institute. “Cost optimization for key components is critical to scaling.”
Despite these challenges, Chinese firms are accelerating innovation and collaboration to break through bottlenecks. Ecological leaders like Beijing Embodied Intelligence Robot Innovation Center, Huawei, and Xiaomi are shaping supply chains, while innovation clusters have emerged in Beijing and Shenzhen. In core components, Suzhou GreenHarmonic’s harmonic reducers—breaking foreign monopolies—are used in 43 joint modules of Tiangong Ultra robots. Inovance Technology’s frameless torque motors and drives, with leading domestic market share in servo systems, meet high-torque, high-response joint requirements. Orbbec’s 3D vision sensors dominate over 70% of China’s service robot market, leading global 3D perception.
Acceleration Evolution CEO Cheng Hao envisions a future beyond generic humanoid bodies, with the company planning one-stop development tools and native basic software. “Practical, reliable products with low development barriers will nurture a thriving ecosystem,” he states. Hong Yong adds that humanoid robots are proving commercially viable in niche sectors like factories, power utilities, and guided tours, driven by rising domestic component self-sufficiency and deepened upstream-downstream collaboration. The sector’s growth is set to catalyze 产业链 (industrial chain) expansion in actuators, sensors, structural parts, materials, operating systems, and AI algorithms, presenting a new economic growth engine.
Road Ahead: From Thematic to Growth Investment
As the humanoid robot narrative evolves, financial institutions are reassessing its investment value. A Minsheng Securities report notes the sector’s transition from “thematic” to “growth” investment, citing tangible progress in technology and commercialization. While challenges persist, the industry’s trajectory is clear: capital inflows will continue to fuel R&D, manufacturing scaling, and ecosystem building, bringing humanoid robots closer to mainstream adoption.
The coming years will test whether technology breakthroughs and cost reductions can keep pace with market expectations. Yet with governments, investors, and enterprises aligning resources, the humanoid robot revolution appears poised to transform not just industries, but daily life—one joint, one sensor, and one financing round at a time. As the sector crosses the chasm from hype to substance, its impact on the global economy may soon rival that of previous technological revolutions.