Astribot
Integrator / OEM · CN
Shenzhen rope-driven humanoid maker selling the S1 wheeled platform and the T1 biped from RMB 89,900.
Astribot designs and sells rope-driven (tendon-actuated) AI robots: the S1 all-round platform — a humanoid upper body on a wheeled base with 5 kg payload per arm and end-effector speeds near 10 m/s — and the T1 bipedal humanoid, launched at WRC 2026 from RMB 89,900. Its thesis is 'Design for AI' (DFAI): define the body around how large models learn and move first, then build the embodied OS and models around that body, instead of retrofitting intelligence onto an industrial arm. The stack — model, embodied operating system, rope-driven actuator — is the product. The company reports 1,000+ S1 units delivered by end-2025 and positions the cheaper T1 for commercial and industrial work rather than demo videos.
Research mapping
Physical AI / Autonomy Software, Fleet Platforms & End Markets (L10) / Integrator / OEM
Evidence boundary
Original analysis and independent corroboration remain under development. Commercial scale and durable technical advantage remain under review.
What makes it defensible
Rope/tendon actuation engineered for repeatable mass production at a price point (from RMB 89,900) that screw-and-harmonic-reducer humanoids cannot reach, paired with its own embodied OS.
Position in the stack: Humanoid OEM (pa-10) selling the whole body plus the software stack; the defensible part is tendon-actuator manufacturing yield and the DFAI coupling between body and model, both of which most competitors source externally.
Who buys it
Founding team
Lai Jie — Founder, Chairman & CEO — 17+ years in AI and robotics R&D; first employee and architect of Tencent's Robotics X laboratory; previously led Baidu's Xiaodu robot team.
SourceFinancing detail
- Last round
- $149M round (Oct 2026)
Investors: Toposcend Capital (投控东海), Hongtai Fund, Shanheng Capital
Mapped funds and investors
Direct relationships supported by published evidence.
Reported holdings as-of
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Disclosed investment history
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Showing up to four relationships in each group. ETF weights describe the fund’s portfolio, not ownership of this company. Private investment history does not establish current ownership.