Backed by major investors including Tencent and HongShan Capital Group (HSG), AgiBot’s listing plans come at a time when Beijing is intensifying efforts to promote automation as part of its broader strategy to tackle an aging population and strengthen China’s global standing in robotics amid ongoing tech competition with the United States.
The Shanghai-based startup, founded in 2023 by former Huawei executives Deng Taihua and Peng Zhihui, has rapidly gained prominence in China’s robotics industry. Its humanoid robot models — Yuanzheng and Lingxi — have been showcased for their ability to perform human-like tasks such as folding clothes, brewing coffee, and cleaning. The company also develops and sells data collection tools used for training AI models.
AgiBot has appointed China International Capital Corp (CICC) and CITIC Securities as lead underwriters for the proposed listing, while Morgan Stanley recently joined the effort, sources told Reuters. The company reportedly plans to file a preliminary prospectus early in 2026 and is targeting a public listing by the third quarter of the year.
While final details — including offering size, valuation, and timing — are subject to change, the IPO could see AgiBot issue between 15% and 25% of its shares, one source revealed.
As of March 2025, AgiBot was valued at $2.07 billion, according to PitchBook data. If the company achieves its targeted valuation range, it would mark one of the most ambitious debuts by a Chinese robotics startup in recent years.
AgiBot has also attracted significant industry partnerships and investments. In August 2025, it announced a multi-million-yuan agreement with Fulin Precision Engineering to deploy nearly 100 Yuanzheng robots in Fulin’s automotive parts factories. The company also completed a strategic financing round involving LG Electronics and Mirae Asset, joining a roster of investors that includes BYD and Hillhouse Investment, according to Chinese corporate database Qichacha.
President Xi Jinping’s visit to AgiBot’s Shanghai facility earlier this year further boosted the company’s visibility, signalling Beijing’s endorsement of domestic robotics innovation.
If successful, AgiBot’s IPO would follow the 2023 listing of Ubtech Robotics, the first humanoid robot company to debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Ubtech’s shares have since surged 150% in 2025, far outpacing the Hang Seng Index’s 32% gain over the same period. Rival Unitree Robotics is also eyeing a Shanghai STAR Market listing at a potential 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) valuation.
The timing of AgiBot’s move aligns with Hong Kong’s resurgence as a global IPO hub. The city has emerged as the world’s leading exchange by combined IPO and secondary listing volume this year, surpassing the New York Stock Exchange, according to data from LSEG. As of October, more than 270 companies have filed for listings in Hong Kong, raising a combined $24 billion — more than double the total for all of 2024.
AgiBot’s planned debut, if realized, would not only underscore China’s growing robotics ambitions but also signal renewed investor appetite for high-growth tech firms seeking capital in Hong Kong’s revitalized market.