US and Chinese robotics start-ups attract 75% of global funding, study finds

America and China are ‘reinforcing their leadership’ in robotics, allowing them to shape the future of automation, new study finds

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A humanoid robot made by the Chinese company AgiBot works at a supermarket checkout. US and Chinese robotics start-ups are attracting a dominant share of global venture capital investment, according to a new study. Photo: Handout

Published: 2:30pm, 27 Mar 2025Updated: 2:49pm, 27 Mar 2025

China and the United States accounted for 75 per cent of all venture capital investment in the robotics space over the past six years, allowing them to build a formidable lead in a crucial emerging industry, according to a study by the analytics firm GlobalData.

The scale of investment into US and Chinese robotics start-ups between 2018 and 2024 shows the two powers are “emerging as dominant forces” and “reinforcing their leadership in driving innovation, attracting investor interest, and shaping the future of automation and intelligent systems”, the London-based company said in a statement.

A total of US$100.9 billion of venture capital was invested in robotics between 2018 and 2024, with the US accounting for US$49.9 billion of those deals and China attracting investments worth US$24.4 billion, GlobalData found.

Despite a dip during the pandemic, nearly 6,000 venture capital deals were announced in robotics worldwide over the same period. Just over 2,000 involved start-ups in the US, while 1,532 involved firms in China.

China, where the bulk of venture capital comes from state-backed funds, has poured resources into robotics over the past decade with the aim of upgrading its vast manufacturing sector.

Beijing identified robotics as one of 10 strategic emerging technologies it aimed to develop in its “Made in China 2025” strategy, with industrial automation seen as key to offsetting the long-term impact of the nation’s plunging birth rate.