The emergence of humanoid robots as a key product carrying advanced technologies like large AI models marks a significant shift in the industrial landscape following the mobile internet era. According to public data, in 2023, there were 19 financing events in the domestic humanoid robot sector, with a disclosed total financing amount reaching 2.67 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 65.5%. In the first half of 2024, there have already been 13 investment and financing events in China's humanoid robot industry, with the total amount raised exceeding 2.5 billion yuan.
Investors involved include venture capital firms such as Matrix Partners, FreeS Fund, and Sequoia China, as well as industrial capital from companies like Lenovo Capital and SAIC, and even government funds like Yizhuang Venture Capital and Zhejiang Venture Capital.
Similar to the previous wave of autonomous driving startups, the humanoid robot industry, which may not see commercialization in the short term, is already attracting early and concentrated bets from capital in order to secure a ticket for the next era. What's different this time is that, compared to autonomous driving, governments and state-owned capital are getting involved in the humanoid robot industry more deeply and at a faster pace.