Overview
- Global shipments nearly quadrupled to about 19,100 units in the first half of 2026, with Chinese firms responsible for more than 97% of those deliveries.
- AgiBot shipped roughly 8,400 units for an estimated 44% global share while Unitree shipped about 5,900 units for 31%, together supplying roughly three quarters of all units.
- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission moved on July 28 to ban new imports of Chinese-made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing cybersecurity and national security risks.
- Investment and market moves are accelerating the sector with roughly $4.39 billion of reported funding in H1 2026, Morgan Stanley and SAG raising shipment forecasts for 2026 and beyond, and Unitree pursuing a STAR Market IPO expected to raise about 6.1 billion yuan.
- China’s scale rests on shared components, dense domestic supply chains and strong local demand, which have cut costs and pushed robots from demos into industrial and commercial roles that now account for most shipments.