Live Briefs 2026-10-03 · Full coverage of embodied AI
Sharpa Secures $450M from Tech Giants, Launches Robot Ice Cream Maker
AI robotics company Sharpa has raised 4.5 billion yuan from Alibaba, Meituan, Tencent, and JD.com, and deployed a dual-arm robot ice cream maker at a DQ store in Shanghai.
XPeng Robot Raises $900M in Record Humanoid Round
XPeng Robotics secured over $900 million in its first funding round, valuing the company at $6.3 billion and setting a new record for China's embodied intelligence sector. The investment, led by IDG Capital with strategic backing from Tencent and Alibaba, underscores the transfer of automotive and autonomous driving expertise to humanoid robotics.
UBTECH H1 Revenue RMB 1.27B, 16,123 Humanoid Robots Shipped
UBTECH reported H1 revenue of RMB 1.27 billion (+104%), shipping 16,123 humanoid robots. Full-size humanoid robot revenue surged 1,445% to RMB 590 million. R&D exceeded RMB 300 million with 1,103 engineers.
Robot Makers' Mid-Year Results Show Revenue Surge but Losses, Industry Bets on Embodied AI
Chinese robot makers' interim results reveal strong revenue growth but persistent losses, with the entire industry betting on embodied AI as the next growth driver.
Sharpa Raises Over $630M, Founder Denies Creating Robot Jobs
Chinese general-purpose robot maker Sharpa disclosed total funding exceeding 4.5 billion yuan, with a post-investment valuation of 22 billion yuan. Founder Li Yifan clarified the company is not creating jobs for robots but rather for humans.
PsiBot Raises $100M+ for Embodied AI and Dexterous Manipulation
Chinese embodied-AI startup PsiBot has secured over $100 million in new funding, with industrial investors including Ningbo Tuopu Group and Lens Technology. The funds will support research on embodied world models, human-operation data collection, and deployments in logistics and advanced manufacturing.
UDI Robot Clears HKEX Hearing, Targets Main Board
UDI Robot, a commercial delivery service robot maker, has passed the HKEX listing hearing on August 24. With a market penetration of only 2.9%, the company aims to capitalize on scenario coverage to drive growth.
Morning Markets: Nvidia Rallies, Tariffs Escalate, SoftBank Bets on Humanoid Robots
Global markets rebound as Nvidia surges on strong earnings, while Trump escalates trade tensions and SoftBank moves to control 1X, a humanoid robot maker.
NSF invests $90M in three tech centers, including one focused on robotics
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $90 million investment over five years to establish three new Science and Technology Centers, each receiving $6 million annually. One center, led by UT Austin, will focus on human-robot co-adaptation, while the other two will tackle turbulence and genomic intelligence.
Jianzhi Robotics Secures Series A Led by Momenta
Jianzhi Robotics announced a Series A funding round led by physical AI company Momenta, with existing investors following on. The funds will accelerate development of data-driven physical AI infrastructure.