China’s robotics sector will need 5 years to reach its ‘EV moment’, MetaX investor says
The robotics sector was estimated to have raised over US$8.15 billion in 2025, up more than 170 per cent from the year before
In an interview with the Post, Hermitage founder and CEO Sean Xiang Yuqiu said the embodied intelligence sector – the new darling of investors in China – would prosper, but its development would “not be too fast given the current technology bottlenecks”.
Xiang said there were numerous technical challenges in the current level of humanoid robots, including the “brain’s” ability to coordinate precise motion control, as well as limitations in the dexterity of components like robotic hands.
“A humanoid robot that would be accepted by mass consumers should at least be able to complete certain tasks autonomously,” said Henry Zhang Menghan, president and managing partner of Hermitage Capital. “But unfortunately, few of the existing makers can achieve this currently.”
Xiang said it might take five years for the robotics sector to reach its equivalent “EV moment”, when Chinese carmakers shook global markets with their low-cost, mass-produced vehicles.