Robotera, the Beijing-based humanoid robotics startup founded in August 2023 after incubation at Tsinghua University's Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, is considering a Hong Kong initial public offering that could raise up to $1 billion, according to Bloomberg4,5. No prospectus has been filed.
The company has moved through private capital at an unusual pace. In March 2026, Robotera closed a RMB 1 billion (approximately $146 million) strategic round that pushed its valuation above RMB 10 billion, or about $1.4 billion, according to Caixin1. In May 2026, it raised an additional $200 million in a round led by SF Group. Total reported fundraising in 2026 exceeds $340 million.
SF Group's role extends beyond financing. The logistics conglomerate is also a commercial partner, with Robotera robots already deployed across its fulfillment centers. Robotera says its logistics deployments cover China Post and SF Express sites across more than 10 logistics centers. The company reports more than 500 million yuan in cumulative orders and projects deliveries of more than 1,000 units in Q2 2026, representing growth of over 300% on a comparable basis.
Robotera's product line includes the L7 full-size bipedal humanoid, the M7 upper-body humanoid, the Q5 wheeled service robot, and the XHAND1 dexterous hand system. The company claims more than 95% self-sufficiency in core components, meaning it designs and manufactures the vast majority of its own parts.
Robotera's founder and CEO, Chen Jianyu, is a Tsinghua University assistant professor and robotics researcher. The company says it is the only humanoid robotics company in which Tsinghua University holds a stake. Robotera is backed by HongShan.
The potential listing would place Robotera inside a widening queue of Chinese robotics firms choosing Hong Kong over U.S. markets. AgiBot has started its Hong Kong IPO process, according to Gasgoo. Bloomberg reported in June that EngineAI had filed confidentially for a Hong Kong IPO. Competitors X Square Robot and EngineAI have both filed for IPOs on the Hong Kong exchange. Alibaba-backed Zelos is said by Bloomberg to be planning a Hong Kong offering that could raise about $600 million.
Recent listings provide pricing context. Rokae Robotics began trading in Hong Kong on July 9 after raising HK$875.2 million. SEER Robotics listed in Hong Kong on June 24 and said its offering raised HK$1.067 billion before any greenshoe exercise. Unitree planned subscriptions for its STAR Market IPO on August 10, according to Reuters, with the Financial Times reporting its retail tranche was oversubscribed by more than 5,500 times. MarketWatch put Unitree's retail tranche oversubscription above 8,000 times. Later reports put Unitree's offer price at 150.8 yuan per share, valuing the company at about $9 billion.
ANALYSIS Robotera's trajectory from founding to potential billion-dollar IPO in roughly three years reflects the capital velocity in China's humanoid robotics sector, where multiple companies are simultaneously pursuing Hong Kong listings. The company's emphasis on logistics deployments with named partners such as SF Group and China Post distinguishes it from competitors still at the demonstration stage, though the absence of a filed prospectus means the listing remains preliminary.