AsianFin -- JD.com is doubling down on embodied intelligence, catalyzing a new wave of funding in China’s fast-growing humanoid robotics sector.
On Monday, three prominent robotics startups—LimX Dynamics, Spirit AI, and EngineAI—announced major new funding rounds, each led by JD.com. The investments underscore the e-commerce giant’s aggressive pivot into robotics and AI infrastructure, as it positions itself at the heart of China’s industrial tech transformation.
The move comes as JD.com builds out its own embodied intelligence division, led by Shen Hui, former Vice President at AI giant SenseTime. According to executives familiar with the strategy, JD is integrating its proprietary large language models with robotic hardware, targeting applications across logistics, retail, and consumer services.
LimX Dynamics: Full-Size Humanoids Ready for Market
LimX Dynamics, based in Shenzhen and founded by robotics academic Zhang Wei, revealed its full-size humanoid robot is now production-ready and will hit the commercial market in the second half of 2025. The startup, founded in 2022, plans to leverage JD.com’s supply chain and retail footprint to accelerate adoption across logistics and service industries.
LimX Dynamics is also advancing its embodied large-model technology and building out its Integrated Development System (IDS) platform, signaling ambitions that extend beyond hardware to an ecosystem approach.
Spirit AI Raises Nearly $83M to Scale VLA Model
Hangzhou-based Spirit AI (formerly Qianxun Intelligence), founded in 2024, disclosed a Pre-A+ round of nearly 600 million yuan (~$83 million USD) led by JD.com, with co-investment from major institutions including the China Internet Investment Fund and Fosun RZ Capital. This follows a Pre-A round in March, which raised 528 million yuan, bringing Spirit AI’s 2025 total to over 1.1 billion yuan (~$153 million USD).
The startup, led by Han Fengtao, a robotics entrepreneur and co-founder of Rokae Robotics, recently unveiled its humanoid robot Moz1, powered by its proprietary Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model. The robot has demonstrated multi-step capabilities like tidying desks and arranging furniture—key steps toward general-purpose robotics.
EngineAI Targets Mass Production with $137M Raise
EngineAI (formerly Zhongqing Robotics), another Shenzhen-based player, announced it has secured nearly 1 billion yuan (~$137 million USD) across two new rounds. Its A1 round was led by JD.com, alongside battery giant CATL’s investment arm and XPeng-backed Xinghang Capital.
Founded by Zhao Tongyang, former head of XPeng’s robotics unit, EngineAI is rapidly expanding trial production and delivery. Its humanoid robot PM01 gained attention earlier this year for executing street flips and dance moves. The company plans to quintuple its production team and deepen investments in embodied AI R&D.
Zhao said the company has already begun customer deliveries and is eyeing expansion into Middle Eastern markets through capital and strategic partnerships in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Investment Frenzy Shows No Signs of Cooling
JD.com’s trio of deals arrives amid a broader investment surge in China’s robotics sector. In recent weeks:
Robetera, Deep Robotics, and Xiaoyu Bot each raised close to 500 million yuan (~$69 million USD).
TARS closed a $122 million Angel+ round, led by Meituan.
Galbot secured 1.1 billion yuan, pushing its valuation past $1 billion.
Unitree Technology, known for its quadruped robots, has completed IPO counseling with CITIC Securities, potentially becoming China’s first A-share listed humanoid robotics firm.
According to data from IT Juzi, China saw 114 investment events in the embodied intelligence sector in the first five months of 2025 alone, surpassing the 77 deals in all of 2024. Total fundraising has already exceeded 30 billion yuan (~$4.1 billion USD) this year.
JD.com, Meituan, and Ant Group Compete for Robotics Dominance
JD.com’s strategic push into robotics is a direct challenge to Meituan, which has led investments in at least five robotics startups, including Unitree and Galaxy General. Ant Group, meanwhile, has backed four humanoid firms and is expanding into AI components like dexterous hands.
JD is taking a hybrid approach—building an internal R&D pipeline and embedding its supply chain-focused large language models into smart hardware. According to executives, its “JD Joy Inside” initiative aims to fuse AI and robotics across products ranging from humanoids to robotic pets.
During this year’s 618 Shopping Festival, JD.com reported a 17x year-on-year surge in embodied robot sales, while overall smart robot sales tripled.
Long-Term Vision for a $7 Trillion Market
Analysts believe this boom may mirror past waves in sectors like autonomous driving. Xia Zhijin, Managing Partner at Vertex Ventures, warned that “the domestic embodied intelligence industry is currently overheating,” but also emphasized the long-term potential of robots in homes and factories.
Citi forecasts the global humanoid robot market could reach $7 trillion by 2050.
For now, JD.com appears determined to secure its place in that future—by owning the infrastructure, the algorithms, and increasingly, the robots themselves.
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