Humanoid robots: the revolution is underway
Kévin Net, Head of the Asia Division, La Financière de l’Échiquier │September 2025
This year, China has been making headlines with its powerful return to the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) race and announcements from DeepSeek, Alibaba and Huawei. However, the country is also positioning itself as a major player in another area of innovation: humanoid robots. Once the stuff of science fiction, humanoids are now a reality, thanks to breakthroughs in AI, of which they are the physical embodiment. In China, they are already being used in factories and retirement homes, and have even run in the Beijing Half Marathon.
China’s lead
While Tesla has garnered attention with its Optimus robot, many Chinese companies are also developing humanoids. These include established giants like Xiaomi and BYD, as well as innovative start-ups like Unitree Robotics. It is important to note that humanoid robotics has received significant government backing in China. China is arguably the country most committed to the humanoid robot market globally. Declared a national priority by the Chinese Premier at the last NPC (National People’s Congress), the sector has also enjoyed support from many local government authorities since 2023. Numerous funds have been launched to finance the sector, already totalling 170 billion yuan, or nearly $25 billion.[1] In addition, the Chinese government made humanoid robot purchases worth 214 million yuan ($30 million) in 2024, a significant increase on the 4.7 million yuan spent in 2023.[2]
Heady prospects
While the figures are still modest – with 7,000 robots sold in China this year (and 5,000 in the United States) – they are projected to increase fivefold by 2026, exceeding 400,000 units by 2030. A Bank of America report[3] predicts 1 million humanoids by 2030, and 3 billion by 2060. This summer, Unitree unveiled R, a robot priced under $6,000, $10,000 less than the 2024 model. While some higher-performance models can still cost $100,000, the drop below the $10,000 threshold is a major milestone in making humanoid robots more accessible.
Industrial and domestic applications
While humanoids are used predominantly for industrial applications, especially in manufacturing and logistics, some companies are developing them for more personal uses, such as personal care or services. For instance, Chinese startup UBTech plans to release a home companion robot priced at $20,000.
Humanoid robots have already started to make waves on the stock market this year. The complexity of the value chain, which encompasses semiconductors, AI, software, batteries, electronic components, motors and sensors, creates numerous investment opportunities.
Humanoids represent a revolution on a par with the advent of the automobile: within the next 10 years, they are set to become an integral part of daily life, freeing up valuable time for humanity.