Kinetix AI, a Chinese startup focused on highly humanoid robots, has raised over $74.5 million in its angel+ funding round. The round was led by Vertex Ventures, a VC arm of Singapore's Temasek Holdings, with participation from F&G Venture and Wanshi Capital.
TL;DR
- Kinetix AI raises $74.5 million to accelerate development of humanoid robots.
- The startup is betting on the premium segment of the humanoid robot market.
- The company's first product, KAIBot, features 115 degrees of freedom and stands 1.73 meters tall.
What happened
Kinetix AI, founded in September 2025, has completed an angel+ funding round exceeding 500 million yuan (approximately $74.5 million). The round was led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from F&G Venture and Wanshi Capital. The funds will be used to accelerate the iteration of its 'data-model-hardware' loop and drive commercialization.
The company's founding team includes high-profile individuals such as CEO Yu Jie, former general manager of Huawei's commercial vehicle autonomous driving unit; co-founder Luo Ping, associate dean for research at the University of Hong Kong's School of Computing and Data Science; and co-founder Zheng Cunyuan, former head of XPeng's humanoid robot hardware division.
Why it matters
Kinetix AI is focusing on highly humanoid robots, a category that requires higher investment and longer timelines but has the potential to leverage existing human infrastructure. This approach sets it apart from competitors who opt for lower-cost hardware or wheeled chassis designs.
The company's strategy involves developing highly humanoid hardware and dexterous hands while simultaneously pursuing egocentric data collection and world model research. This approach aims to create a commercializable product that can adapt to existing environments and minimize algorithmic disruptions from hardware upgrades.
Key facts
- Kinetix AI raised over $74.5 million in its angel+ funding round.
- The round was led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from F&G Venture and Wanshi Capital.
- The company was founded in September 2025 and now employs close to 200 people.
- KAIBot, the company's first full-size humanoid robot, stands 1.73 meters tall and features 115 degrees of freedom.
- The founding team includes former executives from Huawei, the University of Hong Kong, and XPeng.
- Kinetix AI's product portfolio includes a native embodied foundation model, a multimodal human-ego-centric data collection solution, and an embodied AI infrastructure platform.
- The company showcased its high-dynamic humanoid table tennis system, SMASH, at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
Context
The embodied AI industry is currently experiencing rapid talent and capital inflow, but most companies have yet to deliver on previously touted technical capabilities and deployment timelines. Kinetix AI's substantial early-stage funding round signals recognition of the highly humanoid robot sub-sector.
The company's strategy of focusing on highly humanoid robots is not the industry mainstream. Most peers prefer to enter the market with lower costs and faster deployment. Kinetix AI's success will depend on the iteration efficiency of its 'data-model-hardware' closed loop and its ability to find scenarios with a strong willingness to pay under a high-cost structure.