China's well-known humanoid robot maker, Unitree Robotics, has priced its IPO at 150.8 yuan ($22.4) a share, raising $900 million and valuing the company at 61 billion yuan, or about $9 billion.
According to analysts, falling robot prices and Chinese government support are fueling interest in the emerging sector. However, there are questions about how long it will take for these robots to perform genuinely useful work.
Unitree's robots can perform various acrobatic tricks, but there are questions about whether the technology can scale commercially.
China's robotics sector is in a leading position, and Wood Mackenzie expects the global humanoid robot fleet to grow by over 90% annually through 2035 to surpass 10 million units.
Unitree's G1 model, priced at $16,000, costs just $82 a year in electricity to run for eight hours a day.
However, some analysts note that much of Unitree's current demand is still concentrated in research and demonstrations.
