Humanoid robotic startup LimX Dynamics exhibits off its merchandise at its Shenzhen, China, workplace on July 3, 2026.
Evelyn Cheng | CNBC
BEIJING — Humanoid startup LimX Dynamics is on the point of go public, simply over 4 years after it was based in the course of the pandemic.
“Itemizing is a should,” mentioned founder Will Zhang, emphasizing the significance of timing. He was chatting with reporters forward of the corporate’s announcement Tuesday that it had raised $200 million in a pre-IPO spherical.
Zhang in contrast the state of affairs to Chinese language electrical automotive startups Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto, which successively listed within the U.S. from 2018 to 2020. “As soon as the expertise is mature, if [the company] would not listing, then like WM Motor, it could disappear,” he mentioned in Mandarin, translated by CNBC.
A number of abroad buyers, together with UAE-based Stone Enterprise, Italy-based GGG and Germany-based Redstone VC participated in LimX’s newest spherical, which valued the startup at 15 billion yuan ($2.21 billion), in line with a press launch.
The startup mentioned it was already getting ready for its IPO, probably in Hong Kong, and is in a confidential part of overview.
The urgency comes as China now has effectively over 100 humanoid corporations, which fall underneath the nationwide push for “embodied AI.”
Reflecting a speedy surge in curiosity, funding within the sector hit 47.09 billion yuan ($6.95 billion) within the second quarter, greater than double that of the primary quarter — and up over six occasions versus the identical interval final yr, in line with trade information supplier Xiniu.
A brand new part
China has fast-tracked approval for humanoid firm Unitree to listing in Shanghai, whereas Hong Kong processes purposes from greater than 500 corporations throughout sectors.
“With extra industrial and collaborative robotic corporations probably coming to IPO, aggressive strain is more likely to persist,” Morgan Stanley mentioned in a report final week, noting sector gamers DeepRobot and Leju that need to listing quickly.
The funding agency forecasts 18% development in China’s industrial robots market this yr, and cargo of fifty,000 humanoids.
LimX goals to create totally autonomous business service robots. The corporate mentioned it can kick off a multi-year plan to ship hundreds of humanoids to the Center East, and is delivering its entertainment-focused Luna humanoid to clients in South Korea.
To founder Zhang, the expertise behind humanoid robots has already crossed the “0 to 1” line of innovating from scratch. The subsequent barrier to entry, he mentioned, lies in making product that meets customers’ wants.
Different backers within the newest funding spherical embrace Chinese language precision components firm Lens Know-how, IDG Capital, WestSummit Capital, Nio Capital and Hefei Binhu Trade Improvement Group, the discharge mentioned.