Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics has launched its initial public offering (IPO) process for a listing on Shanghai's STAR Market, as the country's humanoid robotics industry continues to gain momentum.
According to an announcement released on Thursday, the firm based in Hangzhou in east China plans to issue 40.45 million shares, representing 10 percent of its enlarged share capital. The offering will combine strategic placement, offline institutional subscription and online public subscription.
The preliminary price inquiry is scheduled for Aug. 5, while online and offline subscriptions will begin on Aug. 10, Unitree said, without disclosing the trading debut date.
After the listing, Unitree founder Wang Xingxing and related parties will hold 31.29 percent of the company's shares and 65.31 percent of its voting rights.
Founded in 2016, Unitree Robotics has emerged as one of China's leading robotics firms, specializing in the development of quadruped and humanoid robots. In 2025, its humanoid robot shipments surpassed 5,500 units, ranking first globally.
Benefiting from robust demand for embodied artificial intelligence and continued expansion of its business operations, Unitree expects revenue for the first half of 2026 to reach between 1.052 billion yuan (about 155.73 million U.S. dollars) and 1.128 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 35.62 percent to 45.41 percent.
Gaining widespread attention after its humanoid robots performed at China's Spring Festival Gala, Unitree filed its IPO application on March 20, and obtained regulatory registration approval 104 days later, a record-breaking timeline for STAR Market listings, which underscored regulators' recognition of the strategic importance of embodied intelligence, analysts have noted.
This IPO move reflects a broader trend in China as embodied AI and humanoid robots move closer to large-scale commercialization. Two other firms, Leju Robot and Deep Robotics, had their listing applications accepted in May.
China has identified the robotics industry as a key frontier for gaining a strategic technological edge. In the first half of 2026, China-developed quadruped robots accounted for nearly 70 percent of global sales, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
International Data Corporation, a market researcher, forecasts that global shipments of humanoid robots will exceed 510,000 units by 2030, implying a compound annual growth rate of almost 95 percent.
China's Unitree launches IPO process amid humanoid robotics boom
Japanese peace activists held an event Sunday in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture of Japan, which focused on reflecting on the history of Japan's war of aggression against China and on peace education, calling on the Japanese public to confront past war crimes and prevent a repeat of tragedy.
The event marked the 20th anniversary of a peace memorial hall of a Japanese civic group -- the Association of Returnees from China. Participants at the event stressed that understanding history is an important prerequisite for preventing the repetition of a historical tragedy.
"The more I hear these experiences from friends of the association, the more I feel that we must truly understand Japan's responsibility as the perpetrator in past wars, and we must never do the same thing again. Moreover, there are now signs that seem to suggest a possible repeat of the past, which really frightens me. I believe this kind of thing must never happen again," a participant said.
"Attempts to remove Japan's history of aggression from textbooks are still ongoing. Successive Japanese governments ruled by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have pursued a policy of not teaching this history. Parties even more right-wing than the LDP have also emerged recently, and these forces are gaining ground. As they come to hold a majority in the Diet, the constitution is finally on the verge of revision. If that happens, they will use the constitution as a cover to implement conscription and expand military buildup -- in other words, Japan is trying to become a war-perpetrating country once again," another participant said.
Many participants voiced concern over the Japanese government's dangerous moves on historical issues.
"First of all, knowing the facts is very important. Now the Japanese government is doing everything it can to prevent people from learning history, so I think we should start by learning about it. For Japan, the textbook issue remains the most important. The September 18 Incident and the Lugou Bridge Incident were both triggered by pretexts fabricated by Japan, yet Japan claimed at the time that China had launched the attack. Pre-war education instilled these ideas. However, these incidents were planned by Japan. Post-war generations knew this, but pre-war Japanese did not. So I think it is entirely possible for such a situation to occur again today," a participant said.
Another participant said, "Understanding Japan's past history of aggression is very important -- an issue Japanese people must further understand. Japan must never forget what it once did to China. China never attacked Japan. I think these things are probably not taught in schools. And even when I was in school, they were barely covered. Now it seems they are not taught at all. Even the term 'Nanjing Massacre' was never properly taught. I feel Japan has never truly reflected on its past. So the responsibility for problems between Japan and China lies entirely with Japan."
The Japanese civic group "Association of Returnees from China" was founded decades ago by Japanese war criminals who were released back to Japan under lenient treatment by the Chinese government, with the aim of contributing to peace and Japan-China friendship.
In 2002, the association was dissolved due to the aging of its members. But the "Continuing the Miracle of Fushun Society" was later founded by the younger generation to carry on the unfinished cause of peace.
Japanese peace activists call for confronting wartime past to prevent another tragedy
