China’s top economic-planning agency has issued a rare public warning about the risks of overheating in the country’s humanoid robotics sector. The National Development and Reform Commission said that the market is growing too fast and may be heading toward a bubble.
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Li Chao, a spokeswoman for the agency, made the statement, noting that China now has more than 150 companies making humanoid robots, and that number is still rising. She explained that many of these companies are producing similar types of robots, which could hurt real innovation and crowd out space for better research.
At the same time, the agency said it plans to tighten the rules for who can enter and exit the market. It also wants to create fairer competition and support the development of key technologies. The concern comes just as humanoid robotics was named one of six priority industries for long-term growth in China’s latest five-year plan. Yet, while investor interest is strong, most robots have not yet been widely used in homes or factories.
Top Companies and Market Size
Several companies are leading the push on humanoid robots in China and in the United States. UBTECH Robotics (HK:9880) is the most visible name in China. It is publicly listed in Hong Kong and reported $291 million in revenue over the past year. The company sells robots for both home and factory use and said it has received more than $110 million worth of new orders this year.
Unitree Robotics is another notable player. It is still private but is preparing for a stock listing. Unitree focuses on building lower-cost robots, both with legs and in human-like forms. AgiBot, a smaller private firm, is also drawing attention. It expects to ship over 30,000 robots by the end of 2025.
In the U.S., Figure AI is one of the top names. It was recently valued at $39 billion after raising over $1 billion in September. The company makes robots for factory work and is backed by several large investors. Agility Robotics is preparing for an initial public offering and builds warehouse robots. Boston Dynamics, which Hyundai owns, focuses on research and development and is valued at around $22 billion. And of course, there’s Tesla’s (TSLA) Optimus. Tesla has shown early demos of the robot lifting objects and walking, though it has not yet been rolled out for real use in homes or plants.
The overall market for humanoid robots in China is still young. Total industry sales are expected to reach about $380 million in 2024. However, forecasts show strong growth, with projections rising to $10.3 billion by 2029.
Spending Trends Across the Robotics Industry
Spending on robotics worldwide has been strong this year. ABI Research said global revenue in the field reached nearly $50 billion so far in 2025. That figure is about 11% higher than last year, showing steady demand from both industry and government buyers.
Most of the growth came from mobile and industrial robots. Mobile robots made up the largest share, with around $30 billion in sales. Industrial robots followed with about $17 billion in sales. Humanoid robots accounted for a smaller share of the total, but that share is rising quickly.
In terms of geography, Asia continues to lead. About 74% of all industrial robot installations last year were in Asia, and that trend has held steady in 2025. Europe made up 16%, while the U.S. and other parts of the Americas accounted for around 9%.
As more companies enter the space and more investors take interest, China’s warning signals the start of a new phase. The focus now shifts from rapid growth to tighter rules, deeper innovation, and stronger product testing.
We used TipRanks’ Comparison Tool to align all the notable publicly traded companies in the Robotics sector side-by-side. This is a great tool to evaluate each stock and the Robotics sector as a whole.
