Physical AI
Robotics & embodied AIRobotics, humanoids, embodied AI and autonomous systems — where China's AI meets the physical world.
ORCAUBOAT closes Series C to scale marine embodied AI
Shaanxi-based ORCAUBOAT says it closed a Series C round in July 2026 led by Xi'an High-Tech Venture Capital, with Oriza Puhua and Sanyuan Capital joining, taking its 2026 fundraising to nearly 300 million yuan. The company builds embodied AI systems for vessels and surface robots, with more than 1,000 units in commercial operation across 10-plus countries.
ForgeAI Closes Tens of Millions of Yuan Angel Round to Build an Embodied AI "Brain" Reusable Across Robot Bodies
ForgeAI has closed an angel round worth tens of millions of yuan, backed by investors including TUS Star Ventures. The company has a top-tier core team, proprietary technology, a working commercial loop, and a next funding round already in motion.
Infinigence AI Open-Sources APXInf with Tsinghua and SJTU to Speed Up On-Device Deployment of Embodied Models
Infinigence AI has teamed up with Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University to open-source APXInf, an on-device inference engine for embodied AI. The engine initially supports models including π0.5 and WALL-OSS, and runs on computing platforms such as the RTX 4090, Jetson Orin and Jetson Thor, covering model development, validation and deployment on the robot itself. According to the team's own tests, end-to-end inference latency for π0.5 FP8 on Jetson Thor drops from 278 milliseconds to under 26 milliseconds.
Kinetix AI Closes Angel+ Round of Over 500 Million Yuan to Speed Up Embodied AI Productization
Embodied AI startup Kinetix AI has closed an Angel+ round of more than 500 million yuan, backed by Temasek's Vertex Ventures, Fortune Capital and Wanshi Capital, with China Renaissance as exclusive financial adviser. The company will spend the money on its "data-model-hardware" iteration loop and on moving products such as the KAI Bot humanoid and KAI Hand into commercial deployment.
PHYMI Raises Nearly $100 Million in Seed Funding for Physical Agents
Embodied intelligence startup PHYMI has reportedly secured nearly $100 million in seed funding led by IDG Capital. Founded by former DeepRoute.ai technical partner Liu Nianqiu, the company is developing Physical Agents designed for complex tasks in dynamic real-world environments.
INMO Raises Nearly 1 Billion Yuan Across Series C Rounds
Chinese smart glasses maker INMO Technology has completed a Series C3 round, bringing its total Series C financing to nearly 1 billion yuan. The company plans to invest in spatial intelligence hardware, its AIOS platform and channel expansion.
From Lab to Market: Zhixing Embodied Launches Imprint X, the Industry’s First Kilohertz-Rate Vision-Tactile Sensor
On September 7, embodied intelligence company Zhixing Embodied launched its Imprint X vision-tactile sensor, overcoming conventional bottlenecks. The product has entered production-line validation at leading 3C manufacturers, and the company has reached a partnership with an undisclosed manufacturer.
Xuanji Dynamics Opens Robot SDK as It Targets European Deployment
Shenzhen-based Xuanji Dynamics presented its Hypertron-T01 quadruped robot and an open SDK at IFA 2026, aiming to support industrial deployments in Europe. The company says its robots have been validated in power-grid inspection, emergency response and industrial parks.
Ropedia Launches HOMIE Gen2 to Scale Real-World Training Data for Physical AI
Singapore-based Ropedia has launched HOMIE Gen2, a wearable multimodal capture system that records human activity for robotics, world models and embodied-AI training. The 380-gram headset combines cameras, microphones and motion sensing with software for producing synchronized, training-ready data.
Top embodied AI startup raises hundreds of millions in new funding round
A leading embodied AI “brain” company has reportedly raised hundreds of millions of dollars in a new financing round. The article says the startup is pursuing a world-model approach and attracted interest from 15 venture capital firms.
Chinese Robot Companies Crowd Into Singapore: A “Shell Game” That Is Starting to Fail
Chinese robotics companies are flocking to Singapore despite tiny local revenues, seeking global footholds, capital, partnerships, and access to chips and computing power.
Ban Chinese Robots? The U.S. Calls Them “Unsafe” While Buying Them to Take Apart and Study
The U.S. and allies are moving to restrict Chinese robotics, citing security risks while critics call the campaign protectionist and aimed at copying Chinese technology.
Are 3,000 Humanoid Robots Really “Entering Factories”? Most Are Just Mascots
Humanoid robots are entering factories in small numbers, but insiders say most remain inefficient demonstration tools rather than useful labor replacements.
A Race for Survival: 30 Robotics Companies Rush Toward IPOs as Investor Ratchets Tighten
China’s robotics sector faces a 2026 IPO rush, led by Unitree’s A-share bid, as cash-burning firms race for funding and survival.
230,000 Big Tech workers have been replaced by AI. So why are half of the companies hiring people back?
Chinese and global tech giants are cutting jobs amid AI restructuring, yet analysts predict many firms will rehire workers as automation efforts expose limits.
Caocao Mobility Rolls Out 3,600 Robotaxi Stops, Leaving 29.24 Million Ride-Hailing Drivers on Edge
Caocao Mobility’s Robotaxi expansion in Hangzhou highlights China’s autonomous ride-hailing race, intensifying pressure on nearly 30 million struggling human drivers.
Tesla’s Third-Generation Robot Has Arrived? The Internet Was Fooled by Musk’s Hype Machine
Tesla denied reports that its third-generation robot debuted at Shanghai’s AWE show, saying the display was Gen 2 amid Musk-fueled launch speculation.
Magic Atom’s Former President Wu Changzheng Leaves: Was He “Forced Out by Capital”?
Magic Atom co-founder Wu Changzheng has gradually exited leadership roles, handing control to CTO Chen Chunyu as the humanoid robot maker prepares for commercialization and a possible IPO.
Humanoid Robots Aren’t Selling. Is Renting the Only Way Out?
China’s nascent robotics market is turning to leasing and insurance as high costs, reliability concerns, rapid iteration and weak after-sales support deter outright purchases.
Spring Festival Gala Robots Steal the Show: A 40-Year First That Put an Industry in the Spotlight
China’s Spring Festival Gala put humanoid robots center stage, boosting searches and investor interest despite mixed reactions over uncanny design and product-placement fatigue.
Robot Industry’s Hiring Frenzy: Undergraduate Salaries Triple, Professors Quoted at 20 Million Yuan
China’s robotics talent war is driving multimillion-yuan pay offers, inflated startup valuations and fears of unsustainable cash burn without real deployment.
Robots Headed to the Spring Festival Gala Revealed: Unitree, Galaxea AI, Songyan Power, and Magic Atom
Multiple Chinese robotics firms are vying for 2026 Spring Festival Gala appearances, turning humanoid performances into a high-stakes contest for publicity, sales, and investor attention.
Industry Insider Lifts the Lid: 90% of Robots Are Remotely Controlled
Robotics companies face growing scrutiny as Tesla, 1X and others are accused of showcasing humanoid robots whose complex tasks rely heavily on human remote control.
China’s Robot Industry’s Biggest Backer Revealed: A Desert Prince Pouring in $7 Billion
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoun has invested up to $7 billion in China’s robotics and embodied AI sector, with MGX planning a $100 billion expansion.
Jensen Huang Is Betting the Future of NVIDIA on Physical AI
CES 2026 highlights physical AI as NVIDIA and major tech firms bet on robot foundation models, onboard chips and embodied intelligence as the industry’s next wave.
Are Adult Dolls Robotics’ First Real Gold Mine?
China’s adult doll makers are rapidly adding AI companionship features, turning a mature export industry into an unexpected early market for real-world robotics.
Over the Past 30 Years, Humanity Has Done One Thing: Help “Silicon-Based Life” Arrive
The article argues that internet, cloud, blockchain, energy, chips and AI booms are collectively accelerating the emergence of silicon-based life.