Startups to Watch – Unitree Robotics
- Content Kesowa
- Aug 19
- 5 min read
Welcome to our "Startups to Watch" series, where Federal Synergies highlights groundbreaking companies that are reshaping industries through innovative technology and bold approaches to challenging problems.
Meet the Robot Revolution
In the global robotics race, most people look to Silicon Valley, Tokyo, or Seoul. But lately? You might want to point your compass to Hangzhou, China. That’s where Unitree Robotics is rewriting the script for what China can do in terms of robotics—fast, affordable, and sometimes eerily graceful. Unitree Robotics is a next-generation robotics company, best known for building agile, affordable machines that move like they’ve got a pulse.
Founded in 2016 by engineer Wang Xingxing, Unitree has become a breakout star in the global robotics scene, crafting everything from four-legged “robot dogs” that sprint, leap, and dance to humanoid acrobats that cartwheel their way through warehouses. Their goal was bolder: bring Boston Dynamics-level performance into everyday hands—not just governments and tech giants—so that automation isn’t a distant sci-fi dream, but an everyday reality.
Nine years later, the gamble is still paying off. Unitree’s machines are showing up everywhere—from research labs and factories to TikTok dance duets and even Guinness World Records. (Yes—they made history. Unitree’s H1 V3.0 Evolution set the Guinness World Record in March 2024 as the fastest full-sized humanoid robot, clocked a walking speed of 7.38 mph (3.3 m/s), smashing the Guinness record for the fastest full-sized humanoid robot, eclipsing Boston Dynamics’ Atlas on both pace and flair.)
Meet the Cast
You don’t just “buy” a Unitree robot—you meet them. Each one arrives with its own quirks, strengths, and almost unsettling personality, like characters stepping out of a sci-fi movie and into your living room.
R1 – The ultra-lightweight humanoid acrobat, standing 121 cm tall and weighing roughly 25 kg, R1 packs 24 to 26 degrees of freedom and even supports voice/image control via an onboard large multimodal model. It’s built for versatility and customization, whether you’re using it in a lab, studio, or your dream robot collection. Known for its lightweight structure and easy maintenance.
H1 – Unitree’s full-size humanoid workhorse. It can run at 3.3 m/s (about 7.38 mph), making it China's fastest running humanoid robot—and a serious step into performance robotics. It garnered mainstream attention when it starred in the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, performing a choreographed piece directed by Zhang Yimou.
Go2 – The consumer-friendly quadruped bot, it has three variant - Pro, Edu, Basic. It’s equipped with 4D ultra-wide-angle LiDAR, advanced AI control, and agile movement across terrain. It can trot across rough terrain, respond to your voice, and yes—join you in a TikTok dance challenge.
B2 – The rugged industrial quadruped that’s built for duty. With a top speed of 6 m/s, the ability to carry 40 kg continuously, endure 5 hours of walking, and leap over obstacles, B2 is engineered for serious workload environments.
A2 “Stellar Hunter” – Designed for heavy-duty tasks in unpredictable environments, A2 comes with hot-swappable dual batteries for endless runtime, industrial-grade LiDAR and camera perception, and adaptability to extreme conditions—from logistics to rescue missions.
G1 – Unitree’s humanoid agent, G1 offers flexible, precise movement with up to 43 degrees of joint freedom, force-position hybrid control, and dexterous manipulation akin to a human hand—lean, powerful, and designed for real-world interaction.
How unitree robots are helping Chinese government
Fire & Rescue: The Robot Dogs That Run Toward the Flames
Picture a shopping mall engulfed in smoke. Shoppers have evacuated, but the second floor is still blazing—and it’s too dangerous for human firefighters to charge in. That’s when a Unitree quadruped trots past the fire line. It climbs the stairs like it’s training for a marathon, its composite-metal body shrugging off the heat. On its back? A water cannon blasting 40 liters per second up to 60 meters, pounding the flames from a safe distance.
Some versions ditch the water for a high-speed air blower, breaking the fire-to-fuel chain in forest fires before they can spread. Each robot carries its own survival kit—cooling systems to endure “hellfire” temperatures, 360° cameras for situational awareness, and gas sensors feeding a real-time map back to command.
This isn’t a concept video—Qingdao’s fire department has these robots in active deployment. They’ve already seen action in forest fire prevention drills and simulated urban blazes, proving that sometimes the bravest firefighter doesn’t need a heartbeat.
Electricity & Infrastructure: Keeping the Lights On in Any Weather
Far from the city center, a power substation sits under a freezing January sky. Icy puddles coat the ground, the wind is cutting sideways—and Unitree’s B2 is still patrolling. It steps over 40 cm obstacles, leaps over debris, and wades through slush without missing a scan.
Built for the frontlines, the B2 operates from –20°C to 55°C with an IP67 waterproof and dustproof shell. Inside, it’s a rolling sensor array: thermography for heat leaks, LiDAR for navigation, AI vision for inspections, even gas detectors for hazardous leaks. With a massive 45,000 mAh battery, it roams for hours without recharge, feeding its findings directly into the State Grid’s digital twin platform.
The result? Power plants and substations stay monitored 24/7, even in conditions that would shut down a human crew. Whether it’s a sweltering summer or an ice storm, the grid never goes unwatched.
What’s Next: A Tech Forest Growing Stronger
Building a Xiaomi-style ecosystem: Investors see Unitree not just as a robot maker, but as an ecosystem company—imagine interconnected quadrupeds, humanoids, arms, and future modules all working in concert. That's Unitree's ambition—rooting deep in robotics and branching into every corner of our world.
IPO on the horizon: Unitree has restructured into a joint-stock company and entered the “tutoring” phase with CITIC Securities toward an IPO as early as Q4 2025 to Q1 2026 - possibly on mainland China’s STAR or ChiNext exchanges, positioning themselves to cash in on soaring interest in robotics.
Pushing human-like dexterity: They’ve kicked off a “dexterous hand” project—with hefty salaries (over ¥65,000/month, or ~$9K)—to bring upper-body finesse to their humanoids. This isn’t small talk; it’s real R&D reshaping how robots interact with the world.
Robots in everyday life, soon: Wang sees robots doing room-tidying and item delivery in homes and stores in 1–2 years, while football-playing humanoids might even surpass human skill in the coming months. It's not sci-fi—it’s near-future reality.
National tech momentum behind them: They’re backed by a wave of government funding, industrial strategy, and a massive market push. All that support is fire-fuelling their ascent.
Conclusion: Where Unitree Stands Today—and Where It’s Rocketing Tomorrow
Unitree Robotics isn’t just growing—they’re flourishing, sprouting from a scrappy startup into a tech titan with legs—robotic ones, of course. With over 1,000 team members now (from a lone founder in 2016), and annual revenues hitting over 1 billion RMB, they're crushing it on the operational front.
They’re not just generating hype—they’re reshaping an industry. Their quadruped robots dominate globally with 60–70% market share, and the humanoid side isn’t lagging either: Unitree shipped roughly 1,500 humanoid units in 2024, and they're drowning in orders across the board.
To learn more about their products, click here.
Blog post by Rimashree
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