Development History
From the first demonstration robot in 1980 and the 863 Program to the humanoid mass-production era — how China went from follower to front-runner in four decades.
Timeline863 Program
The English-language hub for China's robotics ecosystem
Inside the World's Fastest-Moving Robotics Revolution
China has become the world's largest robotics market — and its most crowded startup battleground. From factory arms and floor-cleaning robots to humanoid machines that can run, dance and fight, we track the founders, companies, history and products behind the rise.
¥300B+
Robotics industry revenue, 2025 (above-scale firms)
8 /10
Humanoid robots sold globally come from China
#1
Largest industrial-robot market, 11 straight years
18k+
Humanoid robots shipped from China in 2025
Explore the ecosystem
Four lenses on one industry
Whether you're an investor, an engineer, a student or just curious — start where it matters to you.
Founders & Key Figures
Meet the "Father of Chinese Robotics," the professor who spawned DJI, and a new wave of 20-something PhD founders raising hundreds of millions.
PeopleEntrepreneurs
Companies & Startups
Unitree, Agibot, UBTECH, Fourier, DJI, SIASUN and dozens more — the giants, the unicorns and the underdogs of China's robotics landscape.
CompaniesStartups
Cutting-edge Products
From 10 m/s humanoid sprinters and banana-peeling robotic hands to ornithopter birds that real birds follow — the hardware defining the frontier.
ProductsHardware
Why this matters
A trillion-yuan shift, still in its first act
From "world's factory" to robot maker
In 2025, domestic brands overtook foreign brands in China's industrial-robot market for the first time — led by Estun, Inovance and SIASUN. The country that once bought robots from ABB and FANUC now produces its own.
Industrial
The humanoid land grab
Over ¥100 billion has poured into humanoid robotics in two years. More than 47 Chinese startups are chasing a machine that can work an eight-hour shift — and the capital is starting to concentrate on a few winners.
Humanoid
A new generation of founders
The average AI-founder age has dropped to 29. China's robotics wave is being led by PhD students, math-olympiad winners and "genius" engineers — many still in their 20s — who are raising hundreds of millions before graduation.
People
Featured
Five names you should know
Unitree Robotics
The quadrupeds-turned-humanoids champion. Shipped more humanoid robots than anyone in 2025 and filed for a Star Market IPO in a record 73 days.
HumanoidHangzhou
Agibot
Founded by Huawei "genius" Peng Zhihui. Reached a 15B RMB valuation in three years, overtook Unitree in H1 2026 shipments, and is heading for a Hong Kong IPO.
HumanoidShanghai
UBTECH
The first listed humanoid-robot company in the world (HKEX, Dec 2023). Walker S series targets 5,000 units shipped in 2026.
HumanoidShenzhen
DJI
The drone giant born in a 20-square-metre Shenzhen garage in 2006 — proof that China's robotics ecosystem can produce a global category king.
AerialShenzhen
SIASUN
China's first robotics company, founded in 2000 and named after the "Father of Chinese Robotics," Jiang Xinsong. The elder statesman of the industry.
IndustrialShenyang
Fourier Intelligence
From rehabilitation robots to the GR series humanoids. Backed by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Saudi Aramco's Prosperity7.
HumanoidShanghai
Go deeper into the ecosystem
Follow the people, companies and products defining the next decade of robotics. This site is updated as the industry moves — check back often.