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Coco Feng

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has recently become a shareholder in Tencent Holdings-backed robotics star AgiBot, as China’s robotics industry has become one of the most closely watched sectors this year among investors and tech giants.
AgiBot, also known as Zhiyuan Robotics, was established in 2023 by a founding team that included Huawei Technologies veterans and professors. The company recently added JD subsidiary JD Technology as a shareholder of its main entity, Shanghai Zhiyuan New Innovation Technology, according to a company record change on May 22 from registry information provider Aiqicha.
Another new shareholder is Shanghai Embodied Intelligence Venture Fund, formed just last month with backing from the Shanghai government.
AgiBot has set a record in total funding among its Chinese peers, according to a Thursday post by Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment, which owns the Shanghai Embodied Intelligence Venture Fund.
Following the investment, which saw each new shareholder take a 0.75 per cent stake in AgiBot, the Shanghai-based robotics start-up boosted its registered capital by 2.7 per cent to 82.6 million yuan (US$11 million), according to Aiqicha data.
It is not clear whether the start-up has launched a new funding round. Neither JD nor AgiBot immediately responded to requests for comment on Friday. Shanghai Embodied Intelligence Venture Fund could not be reached for comment.
Chinese newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily reported that the new funding was part of AgiBot’s Series B financing round, attracting funds from existing shareholders such as HongShan Capital Group, formerly Sequoia China, and home appliance giant TCL.
In March, AgiBot kicked off the series that brought in Chinese social and video gaming giant Tencent as a new shareholder. It also accepted investment from Lanchi Ventures, Longcheer Technology, Wolong Electric Group and Zhuhai Huafa Group. The total amount raised was not specified.
The start-up was valued at over 10 billion yuan during the March funding, Yao Maoqing, an AgiBot partner and head of the company’s embodied intelligence unit, told the Post at the time.
AgiBot has completed multiple funding rounds, attracting investment from prominent venture capital firms such as Hillhouse Investment, automobile giants BYD and Beijing Automotive Group Company, as well as CAS Star, which is backed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
AgiBot has become a rising star in China’s robotics industry, in part because of its strong founding team, including Deng Taihua, former vice-president and head of computing products at Huawei; Peng Zhihui, a former recruit from Huawei Technologies’ “Genius Youth” programme; and Yan Weixin, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In March, AgiBot announced the appointment of former Google scientist Luo Jianlan as its chief scientist to lead the firm’s new artificial intelligence research centre.
The company planned to deliver between 3,000 and 5,000 robots this year, a significant increase from the fewer than 1,000 units shipped last year, Yao said in March.


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After a new funding round, e-commerce giant JD.com holds a 0.75 per cent stake in AgiBot, a high-flying start-up founded by Huawei veterans


After a new funding round, e-commerce giant JD.com holds a 0.75 per cent stake in AgiBot, a high-flying start-up founded by Huawei veterans.


Chinese robotics star Agibot adds JD.com as investor, joining Tencent as Big Tech backer

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After a new funding round, e-commerce giant JD.com holds a 0.75 per cent stake in AgiBot, a high-flying start-up founded by Huawei veterans

After a new funding round, e-commerce giant JD.com holds a 0.75 per cent stake in AgiBot, a high-flying start-up founded by Huawei veterans