99 Tekno — Unitree Robotics has moved a significant step closer to a public listing in Shanghai after successfully passing a crucial milestone in its initial public offering (IPO) process. The Hangzhou-based firm is entering the spotlight at a time when the global race for dominance in AI-powered humanoid robotics is intensifying, pitting it against tech giants such as Elon Musk’s Tesla.
The company cleared a major hurdle on Monday, June 1, 2026, after receiving approval from the listing committee. This successful outcome marks a pivotal moment in Unitree’s journey toward the Shanghai capital market.
According to reports from the South China Morning Post on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Unitree Robotics originally submitted its application to list on the Shanghai STAR Market on March 20. Following two rigorous rounds of regulatory scrutiny and on-site inspections, the committee’s approval paves the way for the final registration and share issuance phases.
Unitree aims to raise 4.2 billion yuan (approximately 11.92 trillion rupiah). The company plans to offer at least 40.4 million shares, representing a minimum of 10 percent of its total equity.
Financially, Unitree reported 1.7 billion yuan in revenue last year. While this figure sits slightly below the performance of Hong Kong-listed rival UBTech, Unitree achieved the highest net profit among its peers—590.8 million yuan—demonstrating impressive operational efficiency during the nascent stage of the humanoid robotics industry.
Despite this early success, the company is facing margin pressure in the first quarter of this year. While revenue grew 68 percent year-on-year to 422.8 million yuan, adjusted net profit fell by over 52 percent to 40.3 million yuan, compared to 84.8 million yuan during the same period in 2025. This contraction is largely attributed to surging research and development costs and a cooling of market sentiment regarding the initial hype surrounding humanoid robots.
To maintain its competitive momentum, Unitree is doubling down on the development of AI-driven robot “brains,” specifically its World-Model-Action (WMA) and Vision-Language-Action (VLA) technologies. These advancements enable robots to navigate physical environments with greater adaptability and translate human instructions into precise, real-world actions.
The sector is becoming increasingly crowded, with global heavyweights like Tesla’s Optimus project and a growing wave of Chinese automotive and electronics firms entering the humanoid space. Morgan Stanley analyst Zhong Sheng noted that this wave of IPOs in the humanoid sector is likely to heighten market interest in robotics stocks, highlighting the growing investor focus on the industry.
Looking at the global landscape, UBS projects that annual humanoid robot shipments could reach 30,000 units by 2026. However, Phyllis Wang, an analyst at UBS, cautioned that “AI brains and data limitations remain the primary bottlenecks. Meaningful mass production will require breakthroughs in both areas.”
Wang added that while large-scale production remains on the horizon, the ongoing expansion of manufacturing capacity and industrial integration will bolster the demand for components, which serves as a positive tailwind for China’s supply chain ecosystem. Even before humanoid robots reach full-scale mass production, component suppliers are expected to benefit from a significant surge in demand.
With the combination of global competitive pressures, the necessity for massive capital investment, and the race to perfect embodied artificial intelligence, Unitree’s IPO serves as a definitive signal: the humanoid robotics race has moved beyond speculative experimentation. It has evolved into a strategic arena that will increasingly define the future of global technological dominance.
Summary
Unitree Robotics has moved closer to an initial public offering on the Shanghai STAR Market after receiving approval from the listing committee. The company aims to raise 4.2 billion yuan by offering at least 10 percent of its equity. Despite reporting the highest net profit among its peers last year, the firm currently faces margin pressure due to rising research and development costs and intensified competition in the humanoid robotics sector.
To maintain its competitive edge against global rivals like Tesla, Unitree is focusing on advancing its AI-driven “brains,” including its proprietary World-Model-Action and Vision-Language-Action technologies. While analysts highlight potential bottlenecks in AI data and mass production, the company’s IPO underscores the growing strategic importance of embodied artificial intelligence. This move signals that the industry is transitioning from speculative experimentation to a major arena for global technological development.