EngineAI raises nearly $140M to develop legged, humanoid robots

The race to develop commercially viable humanoid robots continues to get new entrants. EngineAI yesterday said it has concluded its pre-A++ and A1 funding rounds worth close to RMB 1 billion, or $139.7 million U.S.

The Shenzhen, China-based company said it plans to use the investment to enter into mass production, diversify its product lines, and deploy embodied intelligence and related technologies.

“The global humanoid robotics market is forecast to exceed $100 billion by 2030, driven by strong enterprise demand across manufacturing, services, and logistics,” said EngineAI.

Bain & Co. noted that market projections range from $38 billion to more than $200 billion by 2035. Markets and Markets estimated that the humanoid market will grow to $15.26 billion by 2030, while Morgan Stanley was more bullish, predicting that the humanoid market will be worth $5 trillion by 2050.

EngineAI combines traditional controls with RL

EngineAI said it has developed innovative hardware and software for quadruped and humanoid robots. The company claimed that its proprietary joint modules “set industry benchmarks for explosive power, torque, and rotational speed, enabling lifelike motion.”

By solving simulation-to-reality challenges, the startup said it has achieved millimeter-level precision in highly dynamic maneuvers such as complex dances, front flips, and sprinting. EngineAI said its combination of traditional control systems with reinforcement learning (RL) provides efficiency, precision, and reliability.

The company also asserted that its “‘open-source hardware + ecosystem profit-sharing’ model accelerates market penetration through strategic partnerships, enabling rapid application diversification and developer engagement. This dual approach not only truly meets market demands but also gradually penetrates into consumer households, forming a unique commercial ecosystem.”

EngineAI said it has established strategic collaborations with NVIDIA, Amazon, JD.com, Tencent, and ByteDance to accelerate humanoid applications across commercial services, hazardous operations, and tourism. The company reported that certain production segments have already exceeded capacity targets, putting it on track to complete optimization targets by the fourth quarter of 2025 and setting it up for mass-market adoption.

Capital to go toward commercialization

XPeng-backed Rockets Capital led EngineAI’s Pre-A++ round, while JD.com spearheaded the A1 round with participation from strategic investors CATL Capital (affiliated with CATL) and Yintai Group, as well as institutional investors TH Capital, Guochen Venture Capital (Fortune Capital affiliate), and Huangpu River Capital. Existing shareholders also joined the two rounds.

EngineAI said it plans to use the capital to continue product development of bipedal and full humanoid robots this year. The company is now scaling trial production and delivery, targeting a 5x expansion of its production team to meet surging demand.

In addition, EngineAI plans to invest further in commercializing its core technology. The company said it is expanding its workforce in research and development, production, and marketing roles, as well as enhancing internal training programs.

Learn about humanoids at RoboBusiness 2025

RoboBusiness, which will be on Oct. 15 and 16 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, will include the Physical AI Forum and a track on humanoid robotics development.

Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge AI at NVIDIA, will deliver the opening keynote on “Physical AI for the New Era of Robotics.” He will be followed by a panel on “Lessons Learned from the First Humanoid Deployments,” featuring:

• Jim Fan, director of AI and distinguished scientist at NVIDIA
• Katlyn Lewicke, head of global automation strategy and intel at GXO Logistics
• Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics

Other can’t-miss sessions on humanoids include:

• Humanoids for Real Applications: Mastering Safety and Performance, with Nikolai Ensslen, founder and CEO of Synapticon
• Advancements in Humanoid Actuation, with Jordan Schaeffer, strategic business development engineer at Novanta
• Integrating Behavioral Science into Humanoid Design, with Ram Devarajulu, vice president and head of robotics at Cambridge Consultants

RoboBusiness will also have informative sessions about robotics innovation, enabling technologies, and business development. In addition, attendees can visit more than 60 exhibitors and experience networking opportunities. It is co-located with DeviceTalks West, which focuses on surgical and medical devices. Registration is now open.

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