(Yicai) July 14 -- Chinese robotics unicorns AgiBot and Unitree Robotics have secured a CNY124 million (USD17 million) tender from China Mobile, marking the largest order for humanoid robots in the country to date.

Shanghai-based AgiBot will supply full-sized, bipedal humanoid robots worth CNY78 million (USD10.9 million), while Hangzhou-based Unitree will provide smaller humanoid robots valued at CNY46 million, according to a recent announcement by the Beijing-headquartered telecom giant.

Founded in 2023, AgiBot has launched three lines of general-purpose robots -- YuanZheng, LingXi, and Genie -- capable of performing in varied scenarios such as mall guidance, logistics, and transportation. In January, the company announced it had produced its 1,000th mass-market general-purpose robot.

Unitree, established in 2016, initially focused on quadrupedal robots but expanded into humanoid robotics in 2023. It gained widespread attention after 16 of its H1 humanoid robots performed in a viral dance during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, China’s most-watched television event. A demo video of its B2-W robot dog also drew significant international interest on YouTube.

China Mobile, the country’s largest mobile network operator, is actively exploring the robotics sector. At the Mobile World Congress in Spain this March, the company partnered with Huawei Technologies and Leju Robot to unveil the world’s first 5G-Advanced humanoid robot -- a leap forward in robot connectivity beyond standard 5G.

Editor: Emmi Laine