More than 3,000 cutting-edge robots and related products packed the 2026 World Robot Conference, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday, the same day that Unitree Robotics made its debut on the STAR Market in Shanghai and surged 629.44 percent to 1,100 yuan ($163) per share from its initial public offering price.
As the Beijing conference showcased China's strength as the world's largest producer of robots and a supply-chain hub for the industry, Shanghai's capital market bet on what comes next — whether that industrial muscle can drive faster innovation, lower costs and, ultimately, expand share in the global robotics market, industry experts said.
That bet played out vividly on Unitree's first trading day. At its peak, a single winning IPO allotment translated into a paper profit of up to 474,600 yuan. Although the shares retreated from that high, they still closed at 845 yuan, up 460.3 percent, valuing the company at 341.77 billion yuan.
Pan Helin, a member of the expert committee for information and communication economy of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the surge reflects robust investor confidence in China's embodied artificial intelligence industry.
"Despite the share price retreating from its opening high amid broader market pressure, Unitree's performance far outpaced earlier expectations," he said.
