AgiBot is a Shanghai-based humanoid robot maker founded in 2023, backed by investors including Tencent, HongShan Capital and BYD, that produces bipedal, compact and wheeled robot lines mainly for industrial and commercial use.

Was Unitree previously the market leader in humanoid robots?

Yes — Unitree had led global humanoid robot shipments, but SAG’s data shows AgiBot passed it in the first half of 2026 on the strength of a broader, industrial-focused product line.

When are AgiBot and Unitree going public?

Unitree has cleared Chinese regulatory approval for a Shanghai Star Market listing targeting about $904 million, while AgiBot is pursuing a separate Hong Kong IPO targeting a $5.1–6.4 billion valuation.

Are non-Chinese companies competitive in humanoid robots yet?

Not yet at scale — SAG’s report found Chinese manufacturers accounted for 97% of global humanoid robot shipments in the first half of 2026.

AgiBot Overtakes Unitree as World's Top Humanoid Robot Vendor

Shanghai-based robotics maker AgiBot has overtaken Unitree Robotics to become the world’s largest humanoid robot vendor by shipment volume, according to a market report from research firm Smart Analytics Global (SAG) published August 10.

AgiBot Pulls Ahead

AgiBot shipped roughly 8,400 humanoid robots in the first half of 2026, capturing 44% of the global market — a 562% jump from a year earlier, SAG found. Unitree, long considered the industry’s flagship name, fell to second place with about 5,900 units and a 31% share, though it still grew 170% year over year. Together the two robotics makers controlled roughly three-quarters of a global market that grew 272% to 19,100 units in the first half, up from 5,100 a year earlier.

AgiBot’s lead came from a broader product line than Unitree’s, which leans heavily on its flagship G1 model, sold mostly into education, research and performance venues. AgiBot instead spread shipments across full-size bipedal A-series robots, compact X-series units and wheeled G-series machines aimed at industrial and commercial buyers — the market’s fastest-growing segment. SAG found industrial and commercial deployments made up more than 70% of shipments in the first half, up from about half a year earlier.

The report also underscored how concentrated the humanoid robot supply chain has become: China-based vendors accounted for 97% of all units shipped worldwide during the period.

Both Makers Racing Toward IPOs

The shipment data lands as AgiBot and Unitree both push toward public listings. Unitree recently won final regulatory approval for a Shanghai Star Market IPO, pricing shares at 150.8 yuan and targeting roughly 6.1 billion yuan ($904 million). AgiBot, founded in 2023 and backed by investors including Tencent, HongShan Capital and BYD, is pursuing a separate Hong Kong listing with CICC, CITIC Securities and Morgan Stanley as sponsors, targeting a valuation of roughly $5.1 billion to $6.4 billion.

SAG projects total humanoid robot shipments will reach 60,000 units by the end of 2026 and scale to 500,000 units annually by 2030, as manufacturers move the machines from research showcases toward warehouse and factory floors.

AgiBot Pulls Ahead

Both Makers Racing Toward IPOs

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