(Yicai) March 18 -- Qingtianzu, the robot rental platform backed by Chinese humanoid robot unicorn AgiBot, has completed angel and angel+ funding rounds worth more than CNY100 million (USD14.5 million) in total.

The fresh capital will be used mainly to build a standardized nationwide fulfillment service network, upgrade the platform’s asset management and scheduling systems, and use real-world scenario data to support companies across the industry chain, Qingtianzu announced today.

Investors in the latest rounds include Broad-Ocean Motor, a supplier of motors for home appliances and new energy vehicles; Minzhuo Electric, a micro motor maker; Yuehua Entertainment, a Chinese entertainment group; THE Capital, a venture capital fund affiliated with Tsinghua University; and existing shareholder Dafeng Industry.

Founded in December last year, Qingtianzu has completed three funding rounds, including a seed round led by GL Ventures in mid-January.

Qingtianzu introduced a diverse group of strategic investors in this round, which will create a wide range of business cooperation opportunities, Chief Executive Officer Li Yiyan said. Broad-Ocean Motor and Minzhuo Electric will help accelerate large-scale robot deployment in industrial settings, while Yuehua Entertainment will support the use of robots in entertainment scenarios such as commercial performances and concerts, Li added.

As of now, Qingtianzu has received more than 5,500 leasing orders, with over 3,000 robot units available for dispatch through the platform. The number of registered city partners nationwide has also exceeded 20,000, the company said today.

As humanoid robot technology and business models continue to mature, China’s robot rental market is expected to see explosive growth this year. The market is forecast to expand from CNY1 billion (USD145.4 million) last year to more than CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion), according to iiMedia Research.

Editor: Emmi Laine