Chinese humanoid robot maker Agibot plans to match Musk’s Optimus output this year

The robotics start-up co-founded by former Huawei ‘Genius Youth’ recruits has an ambitious 5,000-unit production target, far exceeding 2024 output

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One of Agibot’s wheeled robots working at a supermarket checkout. Photo: Agibot

Published: 9:30am, 25 Mar 2025Updated: 10:50am, 25 Mar 2025

Agibot, a Shanghai-based robotics start-up co-founded by former Huawei Technologies “Genius Youth” recruits, is targeting production of up to 5,000 robots this year, according to a senior executive, matching Elon Musk’s Optimus plans.

The company, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics, plans to deliver between 3,000 and 5,000 robots this year, a significant increase from the fewer than 1,000 units shipped last year, according to Yao Maoqing, a partner at Agibot and president of the company’s embodied intelligence unit. The production surge reflects the eagerness among Chinese robotics start-ups for expansion amid a domestic boom in the industry.

Industrial robot output in China rose 27 per cent year on year to 91,088 units in January and February, while service robot output increased 36 per cent to 1.5 million units, according to government data.

Yao Maoqing, president of Agibot’s embodied intelligence unit. Photo: Handout

Founded in 2023, Agibot has risen to become a key player in Shanghai’s robotics sector, with a facility in the Lingang New Area. It plans to open a new plant in Pudong district to increase its production capacity to more than 400 robots per month, according to Yao.

“This year, we aim to deploy new products in industrial scenarios, replacing humans in specific tasks to create tangible customer value,” Yao told the South China Morning Post.

Household adoption of humanoid robots would likely take around five more years, he added.

Agibot was co-founded by Peng Zhihui, a former member of Huawei’s high-profile “Genius Youth” programme that recognises top young talent in China. Peng, along with entrepreneurs such as Wang Xingxing of Unitree Robotics, is seen as a key figure in making China a dominant power in robotics.

Yao, a veteran of the autonomous-driving industry with stints at Google’s Waymo and Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio, said the country has advantages in humanoid robotics, including a comprehensive hardware supply chain and abundant artificial intelligence talent.