'Listing is a must': Chinese humanoid startups are rushing to launch IPOs

Chinese humanoid startups are rushing to list Key Points Humanoid startup LimX raised $200 million in a pre-IPO round that values the company at $2.21 billion. Founder Will Zhang said the technology has reached a point where going public is necessary. Investment in China's humanoid robot sector has skyrocketed in recent months. Humanoid robot startup LimX Dynamics shows off its products at its Shenzhen, China, office on July 3, 2026. Evelyn Cheng | CNBC BEIJING — Humanoid startup LimX Dynamics is getting ready to go public, just over four years after it was founded during the pandemic. "Listing is a must," said founder Will Zhang, emphasizing the importance of timing. He was speaking to reporters ahead of the company's announcement Tuesday that it had raised $200 million in a pre-IPO round. Zhang compared the situation to Chinese electric car startups Nio , Xpeng and Li Auto , which successively listed in the U.S. from 2018 to 2020. "Once the technology is mature, if [the company] doesn't list, then like WM Motor , it may disappear," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. Several overseas investors, including UAE-based Stone Venture, Italy-based GGG and Germany-based Redstone VC participated in LimX's latest round, which valued the startup at 15 billion yuan ($2.21 billion), according to a press release. The startup said it was already preparing for its IPO, likely in Hong Kong, and is in a confidential phase of review. The urgency comes as China now has well over 100 humanoid companies, which fall under the national push for "embodied AI." Reflecting a rapid surge in interest, investment in the sector hit 47.09 billion yuan ($6.95 billion) in the second quarter, more than double that of the first quarter — and up over six times versus the same period ...