> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://globalfeed.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Chinese Carmakers Chase Humanoid Robots as Xpeng's Unit Raises Over $900M
- URL: https://globalfeed.ai/en/chinese-carmakers-chase-humanoid-robots-as-xpengs-unit-raises-over-900m/
- Published: 2026-08-29T18:30:41.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-30T15:26:41.000Z
- Description: Xpeng's robotics arm raised more than $900 million at a post-money valuation above $6.3 billion, while BYD, Chery and others push into humanoid robots.
- Author: GlobalFeed Editor
- Tags: robotics, Xpeng, tesla, funding, dil-en

Chinese automakers are joining Tesla's bet that humanoid robots, not cars, will be the next major profit engine. According to TechCrunch, Xpeng's robotics unit raised more than $900 million this week at a post-money valuation above $6.3 billion.

The round was led by IDG Capital, with participation from Gaorong Ventures, Tencent and Alibaba. The company described it as the largest single-round private financing ever recorded in China's "embodied AI" industry; AI systems built directly into physical machines. The Wall Street Journal reported that Xpeng founder He Xiaopeng and co-president Brian Gu put roughly $100 million of their own money into the round. Xpeng's product bet is Iron, a humanoid robot with a realistic human shape built for commercial deployment.

## A broad industry shift

This month, AiMOGA, the robotics unit of Chery Automobile, reportedly began preparing for an IPO, while BYD unveiled a humanoid robot called Xiao Di. Changan, GAC, Li Auto, SAIC and Seres are also developing humanoid robots.

Michael Dunne, CEO of advisory firm Dunne Insights, said Xpeng is the Chinese automaker that follows Tesla's initiatives most closely: "It's the most focused on autonomy, it's the first to commit in a big way to humanoid robots." He added that He Xiaopeng "sees razor-thin profit in cars on the near horizon. Robots look much more promising." On manufacturing, Dunne said Chinese firms "have all the hardware to get the job done. Question is if they can catch Tesla on the AI side of the equation."

## Rivals outside China

Agility Robotics, Apptronik and Figure are pursuing the same goal of commercial deployment at scale. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics is closer: Hyundai plans to bring the Atlas humanoid to its Georgia factory this year and eventually use the robots for tasks such as parts sequencing by 2028\. Hyundai partnered with Google DeepMind to speed up Atlas development and is opening a U.S. site this year, the Robot Metaplant Application Center, to teach robots movements like lifts and turns. Supplier Mobileye acquired humanoid robot startup Mentee Robotics earlier this year for $900 million, and Rivian is experimenting through its Mind Robotics spinout, though its robots are not expected to look humanoid.

Full report at [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/28/chinese-automakers-are-following-teslas-bet-that-robots-are-the-next-big-profit-machine/?ref=globalfeed.ai).