China is exporting humanoid robots to the real market in the industrial and service sectors, while US companies continue to focus on developing technology and creating future value.
On April 20, 2026, at 7:01 PM, CNBC reported that Chinese humanoid robot startups are accelerating the market launch of their products in factories and shopping malls, while their US competitors are still largely in the technology development phase, despite having significantly higher company valuations. This reflects a widening strategic gap between the two countries.
On the US side, companies like Figure AI are valued at a staggering $39,000 billion, while Apptronik is at around $5,000 billion, significantly higher than Chinese startups like Galbot, which is valued at approximately $3,000 billion. This is despite China having over 100 startups in this sector, with companies like AI2 Robotics valued at around $2.93 billion and already deploying robots in airports, semiconductor factories, and the healthcare industry.
Executives at AI2 Robotics stated that "real-world market performance and technological capabilities can go hand-in-hand," and believe that global investors will soon begin to focus on revenue-generating business models, which could be a crucial turning point giving China a competitive advantage.
Data from Omdia also indicates that Chinese startups will dominate the top 1-6 globally in robotic delivery by 2568, while US companies like Figure and Tesla only make partial lists and continue to focus more on technology development than commercial application.
The disparity in company valuations also reflects investor perspectives, with US startups viewed as high-growth AI platforms, while Chinese companies are seen as industrial hardware businesses, resulting in lower valuations despite having more real-world applications.
However, geopolitical tensions between the United States and China have reduced cross-border investment, opening opportunities for funds from the Middle East to play a greater role, both in investing in Chinese startups and in the practical application of robots in the region.
Experts also point out that China has an advantage from its experience in large-scale manufacturing, such as in the electric vehicle and drone industries, which is being leveraged to produce humanoid robots. Meanwhile, some investors are beginning to see new opportunities, with a tendency for US developers to use Chinese components integrated with their own software.
Reference: cnbc.com
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