Lei Jun Visits Unitree, Lightly Kicks Humanoid Robot to Test Balance

Lei Jun appeared at Unitree Technology’s Shanghai headquarters on September 14. Wang Xingxing accompanied him on a tour of the company, where they watched humanoid robots perform martial arts moves and demonstrate brush calligraphy.

During an interaction segment, Lei raised his right foot and lightly kicked one of the humanoid robots. After taking the force, the robot stepped back, then immediately steadied its body and stood balanced. The moment was captured on camera and became a trending topic on social platforms the following day. The robot did not fall, and the test appeared intended to check stability.

Five years ago, Shunwei Capital, founded by Lei Jun, became one of Unitree’s early investors. Lei has said on multiple occasions that Wang Xingxing gave Shunwei the chance to invest in Unitree around 2021, and he has expressed gratitude for it. At that time, Unitree was still making quadruped robot dogs, and humanoid robots had not yet become an industry hotspot. Shunwei entered at that stage and obtained a relatively early stake.

Unitree later appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, and this year it completed an IPO. Its stock rose more than sixfold at its highest on the first trading day, then fell for five consecutive trading days, with market value evaporating by more than RMB 200 billion. Lei’s visit came after Unitree’s share price had gone through significant volatility. The timing drew attention because it followed the company’s sharp market swings.