Humanoid robots are poised to revolutionise many industries, doing the jobs humans can’t or won’t do. From manufacturing to healthcare, logistics to hospitality, the applications are limitless.
The buzz around humanoid robots isn’t just market hype. Year-to-date, Chinese humanoid robot-related stocks have outperformed broader Chinese equities. This excitement stems from a shared belief among Chinese investors and industry players that humanoids may become the next widely adopted terminal device after smartphones and electric vehicles. Further, 2025 marks the year of the beginning of mass production of humanoid robots in China.
A comprehensive humanoids ecosystem is being built in China. China’s humanoid robot supply chain is taking shape fast. Many Chinese companies have begun ramping up mass production and speeding up the training of humanoid robots, targeting both industrial and consumer use. These are not just prototypes in labs. While their capabilities are still basic, they are improving fast, with trial deployments. In the next few years, we are likely to see operational humanoids working in security, logistics, retail and hospitality.
China has strong strategic policy support. Beijing has made humanoid robotics a strategic priority. In January 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the “Guidelines for the Innovative Development of Humanoid Robots”, laying out a roadmap for industrial innovation. The ambition is clear: China aims to be a “global centre of excellence” for robotics by 2029.
By early 2025, more than 10 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shandong and Shenzhen, have incorporated humanoid robotics into their local economic plans. China is fostering humanoid-focused industrial clusters, especially around Shenzhen and Hangzhou.
Why does this matter? Humanoid robots are viewed as a next-generation strategic sector that combines China’s strengths in AI, semiconductors, batteries, sensors and advanced materials – similar to how it built global competitiveness in electric vehicles (EVs) and solar energy.
B2B first, consumers later
The initial humanoid market is going to be industrial, covering factory automation, warehouse logistics and surveillance; patrol and retail; hospitality services and emergency operations. For example, Unitree announced its humanoid robot G-1 at just US$16,000, much cheaper than Tesla’s Optimus prototype (circa US$50,000–60,000). While performance varies, cost is coming down fast.
Current challenges include insufficient data collection, short battery life, low degrees of freedom and limited strength – but as with autonomous driving, gradual iterative hardware/software upgrades will enhance capabilities and improve performance. Meanwhile, consumer applications such as home assistants and eldercare may take longer due to safety, regulation and complex home environments – but they are not out of reach.
Robots need brains – meaning AI. But here’s the interesting twist: humanoid robots also generate real-world, multimodal data (vision, force, touch) that can train better AI models, making the algorithms more accurate and robust, forming a self-reinforcing cycle. This is why China’s AI developers – including those working on large language models like DeepSeek – see humanoid deployment as a key next step to enrich data pipelines and improve model performance.
Dual-use technologies: NEV + robotics
Many new energy vehicle (NEV) component makers (e.g. motors, sensors, reducers) are now entering humanoid robot supply chains, creating investment synergies. For example:
- Servo motors and reducers used in EVs and robots.
- LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and cameras serving both autonomous driving and humanoid vision.
- AI chips used in robot motion control.
Overall, the age of humanoid robots is arriving. This is a strategic combination of deep tech with real hardware, strong policy backing, growing commercial interest and global relevance.
Humanoid robots are not science fiction anymore. They are industrial reality, just in early form.
Victoria Mio, head of greater China equities and portfolio manager, Janu Henderson Investors
