Chinese humanoid robots are once again seeing increased international investment.
Recently, UBTECH signed a strategic cooperation agreement with renowned international investment institution Infini Capital, securing a total financing line of USD 1 billion.
The partnership not only includes flexible financing methods such as placements, convertible bonds, and cash withdrawal rights, but also includes multiple collaborative initiatives such as jointly expanding into the Middle East market and building an industry ecosystem.
At the same time, Middle Eastern capital is increasingly interested in the Chinese humanoid robotics sector, with frequent collaborations and investments.
Against the backdrop of accelerated industrial chain restructuring and regional capital redistribution, the significance of this financing may extend far beyond simply providing financial support.
Behind the USD 1 Billion Partnership
According to the cooperation agreement, UBTECH will receive a strategic financing line of USD 1 billion from Infini Capital’s high-tech fund. Financing methods include participating in placements, subscribing to convertible bonds, and granting cash withdrawal rights.
The cash withdrawal right is particularly critical. If UBTECH needs funding, it can quickly access up to USD 1 billion in cash, significantly enhancing the company’s execution capabilities and flexibility in its major industrial deployments.
In addition, leveraging their respective strengths, the two parties have also reached several strategic industry collaboration agreements:
- Infini Capital plans to increase its stake in UBTECH at an opportune time, aiming to become a significant shareholder with a stake of no more than 5%;
- The two parties will jointly invest in the upstream and downstream humanoid robot industry chain, assisting UBTECH in building a complete ecosystem;
- Leveraging Infini Capital’s existing investment portfolio in the AIand robot industry chain, UBTECH will achieve breakthroughs in performance improvement and cost control, creating more powerful and cost-effective humanoid robots.
- The two parties will also collaborate to expand into the Middle East market, establishing a joint venture there and planning to build a super factory, R&D center, and regional headquarters, promoting the globalization of Chinese humanoid robots.
As an internationally renowned investment institution, Infini Capital manages multiple primary and secondary funds. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Hong Kong, China, its investments span strategic emerging technologies, AI, humanoid robots, and intelligent manufacturing.
Recently, several of its funds have participated in the placement and cornerstone investments of numerous Hong Kong-listed high-tech companies, including SenseTime, 4Paradigm, Ruyi Holdings, BYD, Lens, and CaoCao Inc, providing cumulative financial support exceeding HKD 10 billion for the development of Chinese high-tech enterprises.
Thus, this partnership not only signifies significant financing support for UBTECH, but also demonstrates the long-term optimism of international, patient capital in China’s humanoid robot industry. This also marks another significant investment by international capital in this sector, following the participation of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund in UBTECH’s placement.
UBTECH’s fundamentals also provide strong support for the partnership. The 2025 interim results released on August 29 showed that the company had achieved revenue of 621 million yuan in the first half of the year, with a year-on-year increase of 27.5%, gross profit of 217 million yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 17.3%, and R&D expenses of 218 million yuan, accounting for 35.1% of revenue. Specifically, its AI education business and consumer robotics and other hardware equipment businesses both achieved nearly 50% year-on-year growth.
As the “first listed company in the humanoid robot industry,” UBTECH is continuously promoting the implementation of robotics. To date, the company has partnered with leading companies such as BYD, DFLZ, Geely, FAW-Volkswagen Qingdao Branch, Audi FAW, BAIC BJEV, SF Express, and Foxconn. Its Walker S series of industrial humanoid robots have become the most widely used humanoid robot for factory training globally.
In 2025, the company has also achieved breakthroughs in humanoid robot delivery: in April, it signed a contract for a large bipedal humanoid robot; in July, it won a 90.5115 million yuan robot equipment procurement project for MiEE, setting a global record for the largest single bid by a humanoid robot company. With production accelerating, UBTECH expects to achieve its annual delivery target of 500 industrial humanoid robots by 2025.
These achievements have not only earned UBTECH the trust of the capital market but also revealed the potential of China’s humanoid robot industry to international investment institutions. The entry of Infini Capital is another example of the continued optimism of global capital, particularly in the Middle East, in this sector.
Why do Middle Eastern investors favor Chinese robots?
UBTECH is not the only beneficiary. In recent years, Middle Eastern investors have become increasingly connected to Chinese robot companies, with frequent collaborations in the humanoid robotics sector, demonstrating a dual trend of increasing investment and accelerating the introduction of new technologies.
On the investment front, Middle Eastern investors have made several investments in leading Chinese humanoid robot companies this year:
In January, Fourier, a leading Shanghai-based humanoid robot company, announced the completion of a nearly 800 million yuan Series E funding round, with participation from Prosperity7 (a fund under the venture capital department of Middle Eastern oil giant Saudi Aramco);
In March, Spirit AI, an embodied intelligence company, announced the completion of a 528 million yuan Pre-A Series funding round, led by Prosperity7 and followed by participation from multiple institutions;
In April, ENGINEAI announced the completion of a nearly 200 million yuan Pre-A Series, led by Stone Venture, a UAE-based private equity firm with a long-term investment in technology companies in emerging Asian markets.
Combined with the recent collaboration between Infini Capital and UBTECH, it’s clear that Middle Eastern capital has established a systematic investment strategy in the humanoid robotics sector.
This type of capital, often sourced from sovereign wealth funds, venture capital (VC) funds affiliated with oil giants, or Middle Eastern family foundation, is typically characterized by “patient capital,” characterized by large capital scale, long cycles, and a high tolerance for error. They aren’t seeking a hot trend, but rather “platform-level technologies” that can be integrated into national science and technology strategies, and humanoid robots are a prime example of this.
On the market side, Chinese humanoid robots are also rapidly entering the Middle East. Not only are they frequently appearing at trade shows across the region, but orders are also steadily increasing.
In February of this year, UBTECH showcased its industrial version of the humanoid robot Walker S1, its Panda robot Youyou, and its integrated AI education solutions at the LEAP, the largest tech event in the Middle East, generating significant attention.
On the consumer side, Ednex Automation, a partner of Unitree, revealed that inquiries have increased exponentially since the spread of Unitree’s viral video.
Data shows that Ednex has sold over 300 robot dogs and 100 humanoid robots in the UAE, 5% of which have been purchased by individual users. University campuses are the primary application scenario, used for both programming experiments and AI course teaching.
From a policy and strategic perspective, the Middle Eastern market is also rapidly “reserving space” for the AI and robot industries.
Against the backdrop of energy transition, Middle Eastern capital is actively seeking growth engines in the “post-oil era.” AI and robotics are considered new strategic industries.
For example, the UAE’s “Smart Dubai” plan explicitly aims for AI to contribute 14% to the economy by 2031. These national strategies provide policy certainty for continued investment in the robotics sector.
At the same time, economic, trade, and technological cooperation between China and the Middle East is becoming increasingly close. Chinese companies possess both a comprehensive supply chain and a vast application market, creating a natural geographical complementarity between the two sides.
For Middle Eastern countries seeking to rapidly address shortcomings in intelligent manufacturing and AI applications within the next decade, Chinese robot companies are the most suitable partners.
Therefore, whether in terms of capital investment, market orders, or strategic planning, Middle Eastern capital’s preference for Chinese humanoid robots is not a whim, but a long-term strategy based on a clear alignment of supply and demand.
Conclusion
In recent years, international capital, particularly from the Middle East, has been a major force driving the development of China’s humanoid robot industry.
Chinese companies have developed unique advantages in intelligent manufacturing, supply chains, and scenario-based implementation. Meanwhile, the Middle East, amidst energy transition and economic diversification, has established AI and robotics as national strategic priorities. This synergy makes humanoid robots an ideal focal point for collaboration between Chinese and foreign capital and industry.
It is foreseeable that, fueled by capital and driven by the market, Chinese humanoid robots will rapidly expand globally, and the Middle East may be a key frontier in this process.
Note:
The 2024-2025 Global Mobile Robot Industry Development Report has been released. If you need it, please feel free to contact us.
For details of the report, please click https://cnmra.com/release-of-the-2024-2025-global-mobile-robot-industry-development-report/.
