Is China’s next “sputnik moment” going to come in the form of a humanoid robot?
Untitree, a Hangzhou-based startup, has attracted attention for its demonstrations on social media of robots capable of synchronized folk dancing and kung-fu kicks.
Goldman Sachs expects the global market in androids to reach $205 billion by 2035 and Citibank expects 648 million of them to be walking among us by 2040.
US competitors in humanoid robotics include Tesla, Google, Meta and (relative) startups Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics.
But the FT says China’s deep electronics and EV supply chain has given it a head start. In a meeting of the Chinese parliament last month, Beijing declared the sector to be a strategic industry to support.
The founder of Unitree was given an audience with Xi Jinping.
