(Yicai) July 21 -- Chinese e-commerce giant JD.Com has consecutively invested in three robotics startups, Spirit AI, LimX Dynamics, and Engine AI, to strengthen its position in embodied artificial intelligence.

Hangzhou-based Spirit AI today announced the completion of a nearly CNY600 million (USD83.6 million) Pre-A+ funding round led by JD.Com, with participation from several investment institutions, including the China Internet Investment Fund. The proceeds will be used to enhance its vision-language-action models and upgrade robotic hardware. These models combine visual, auditory, and tactile inputs to guide decision-making in robots.

Shenzhen-based LimX Dynamics also disclosed today that JD.Com led its latest funding round. The funds will support the mass production and commercialization of full-size humanoid robots and the development of large language models focused on embodied intelligence. LimX Dynamics plans to collaborate with JD.Com across retail, logistics, and service applications.

Finally, Engine AI, also headquartered in Shenzhen, said today that it completed two financing rounds totaling CNY1 billion (USD139.3 million). Rockets Capital, the investment arm of electric vehicle maker Xpeng, led the Pre-A++ round, while JD.Com led the A1 round alongside Puquan Capital, a venture firm linked to battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology.

China’s robotics sector is rapidly expanding, driven by advances in embodied intelligence -- technologies that enable machines to interact physically with their surroundings. Internet giants, including JD.Com, are intensifying efforts to enter this space.

A JD.Com insider told Yicai that the Beijing-based company is prioritizing emerging technologies such as embodied intelligence and LLMs. It aims to create a comprehensive innovation ecosystem through both in-house development and external investments, particularly in supply chain applications.

During its latest June 18 shopping festival, JD.Com launched a retail unit focused on robotics and signed deals with over 30 manufacturers, including Unitree Robotics and Engine AI, to list and sell their products on its e-commerce platform.

According to an informed source, JD.Com will unveil new collaborations between its embodied intelligence brand JoyInside and multiple robotics companies at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which opens July 26 in Shanghai. The initiative aims to embed JD.Com’s proprietary AI agents into robots, robot dogs, and AI toys to deliver emotional companionship to users.

JD.Com’s supply chain, logistics, and service operations offer ideal testing grounds for embodied intelligence, Yuan Shuai, deputy secretary-general of the Z-Park Internet of Things Industry Alliance, told Yicai.

However, bridging the gap between technology validation and large-scale application will test not only JD.Com's ability to integrate resources but also the performance of embodied intelligence in real commercial scenarios, Yuan from the IoT industry alliance concluded.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine