Unitree debuts on Shanghai exchange with 460% surge

Chinese robotics firm Unitree made a spectacular stock market debut on the STAR Market in Shanghai, with shares closing 460% above their initial public offering price after touching a high of 629%. The company raised about US$904 million (6,100 million yuan), valuing it at roughly 341,800 million yuan (US$43,700 million) at the close Source: portafolioco, abces. The IPO coincided with the launch of its new humanoid robot, "Superman," which the company claims can run at 12.66 m/s (45.6 km/h) and jump two meters Source: Gizmodo, infobae.

Market frenzy

Investor demand was extraordinary: the retail tranche was oversubscribed more than 8,000 times Source: portafolioco, abces. Shares opened at 1,100 yuan (US$160) versus the offer price of 150.80 yuan, before settling at 845 yuan Source: emolcl, lavozar. Founder Wang Xingxing, who holds about 20% of the company, saw his stake valued at over 102,000 million yuan (US$13,000 million) Source: abces.

Superman's limits

While "Superman" outperforms Usain Bolt's average speed in the 100 meters, sources note that Bolt's peak speed was higher, and the robot struggles to brake, often colliding with barriers at the end of the track Source: Gizmodo, infobae. This highlights the gap between raw speed and practical control Source: lavozar.

Strategic context

Unitree's success reflects China's push into "physical AI" and robotics to counter demographic decline and compete with the US Source: emolcl, abces. The company is one of the few profitable humanoid makers, with net income of 278 million yuan in 2025 Source: lavanguardia, abces. However, analysts caution that most robots are still used in demonstrations, not everyday work Source: lavanguardia, emolcl.