Chinese robot maker Unitree surges 460% in Shanghai debut, valuing it at $51B

The surge reflects an intensifying race in humanoid robotics, where both Chinese and American companies are attracting substantial investor backing. Unitree's Shanghai listing demonstrates that capital markets view this sector as having significant long-term commercial potential, particularly in factory automation and industrial deployment. The sharp contrast between Unitree's $51 billion valuation and Figure AI's almost $40 billion valuation—despite Figure AI's more visible marketing through factory robot videos—suggests that geographic diversification and access to Chinese capital markets can command a valuation premium. For Tesla and Musk, who have positioned Optimus as a core future business, Unitree's success signals that Chinese competitors are not lagging in either technology perception or investor confidence, and that the humanoid robot market may be more competitive than previously anticipated.