Alibaba-affiliate Ant Group is actively entering the humanoid robot market, having invested in 12 companies since the beginning of 2025. The latest investment was a 500 million yuan ($73.58 million) funding round in humanoid robotics company Zeroth.
Zeroth, known in China as Suzhou JoyIn Intelligent Technology, was founded in late 2024. The company plans a phased approach to developing humanoid robots, starting with companionship robots for elderly care and pet care, followed by robots for children's education.
Ant Group has also released an AI and robotics-friendly version of its Alipay mobile payments service, which Zeroth expressed interest in collaborating on.
The founder of Zeroth, Guo Renjie, stated that the company focuses on securing partnerships with firms experienced in smartphone chips.
The Ant Group-led deal comes as interest in humanoid robots is growing in China.
