Unitree IPO: Valuation, Timeline and Pepperstone's Pre-IPO Perp CFD

For traders outside mainland China, opportunities to gain exposure to the company before its Shanghai STAR Market debut remain extremely limited. Pepperstone's Unitree pre-IPO market provides traders with an opportunity to speculate on the company's valuation and expected market performance ahead of its official listing.

Humanoid robotics set for significant growth

Humanoid robotics represents one of the biggest long-term investment opportunities within artificial intelligence. Various industry forecasts estimate the total addressable market could reach US$7.5 trillion by 2050, compared with an industry currently valued at roughly US$465 billion.

The sector remains in its infancy, but commercial adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly over the coming years as manufacturing scales, production costs fall and AI capabilities continue to improve.

What once felt like science fiction is quickly becoming reality. By 2050, some forecasts suggest there could be 60 million humanoid robots operating globally, performing tasks across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, retail, hospitality and eventually inside the home.

Unitree has become one of China's flagship robotics companies and is widely recognised for developing some of the world's most advanced humanoid and quadruped robots. Following the strong investor reception to the CXMT IPO, many market participants expect Unitree to become another landmark Chinese technology listing.

Huge public support for humanoid robots

Interestingly, while humanoid robots often attract scepticism across many Western economies due to concerns about automation replacing workers, China has embraced the technology. The country already hosts robot fighting competitions, humanoid races and robot dance competitions. Between 22 and 26 August, Beijing will host the Second World Humanoid Robot Games, highlighting the government's strong support for robotics innovation.

Investment across the sector continues to accelerate. Tesla, Figure AI, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics and numerous Chinese technology companies are investing heavily in humanoid robotics, reinforcing expectations that this could become one of the defining technology trends of the next decade.

Recent US policy initiatives also highlight the growing strategic importance of robotics as policymakers seek to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imported advanced technologies. The increasingly competitive race between the United States and China to dominate robotics and embodied AI is likely to become one of the defining investment themes of the decade.

Understanding Unitree's business model

Unlike many robotics companies that specialise in a single product category, Unitree operates across three complementary businesses:

• Humanoid robots, including the G1 and H1 platforms 
• Quadruped robots (robot dogs) 
• Robotics components, including actuators, motors and control systems 

This provides exposure across several of today's fastest-growing technology themes:

• Artificial intelligence 
• Advanced manufacturing 
• Robotics hardware 
• High-value precision components 

Rather than simply manufacturing robots, Unitree is building an integrated robotics platform where hardware, AI software and advanced manufacturing reinforce one another. This vertically integrated model is one reason investors increasingly view the company as more than simply another robotics manufacturer.

A business set for sustained revenue growth 

The company's recent financial performance reflects the rapid expansion of the robotics industry.

Headline figures include:

• 2025 revenue: CNY1.7 billion 
• Gross margin: 68.5% 
• Q1 2026 revenue growth: 69% year-on-year 

These figures suggest Unitree remains firmly in high-growth mode while maintaining exceptionally strong gross margins for a hardware manufacturer.

One potential headwind remains the United States. Management had previously identified the US as an important future market, although evolving trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions could make expansion more challenging. Consequently, future growth is likely to be increasingly driven by China, Asia and other international markets.

Unitree IPO timeline

Current expectations suggest the IPO process will follow this timetable.

This week

• Institutional roadshow. 

Wednesday

• Institutional and retail bookbuilding. 

Thursday

• Final IPO price expected to be announced. 

Friday

• Expected first day of trading on the Shanghai STAR Market. 

Gauging a valuation: The numbers to know

Current media reports suggest:

• Approximately 40.45 million shares will be issued. 
• The new shares represent approximately 10% of the enlarged share capital. 
• The IPO is targeting a valuation of around CNY42 billion. 

Based on those assumptions, the implied IPO price is approximately CNY103.8 per share, or around US$15.38 using the current USD/CNY exchange rate.

There remains uncertainty around the final valuation, as institutional demand during the bookbuilding process could influence both pricing and allocations.

Pepperstone's Unitree pre-IPO market is quoted in US dollars and provides traders with a dynamic, market-driven indication of where participants collectively expect the shares to trade once the company begins trading on the Shanghai STAR Market. Unlike participating directly in an IPO, Pepperstone's pre-IPO market enables eligible traders to speculate on Unitree's valuation before listing, with pricing continuously adjusting as market expectations evolve.

Why the Unitree IPO matters to investors

The Unitree IPO represents far more than another technology company listing.

It provides investors with exposure to one of China's leading pure-play humanoid robotics companies at a time when embodied AI is emerging as one of the next major investment themes.

China enters this race from a position of considerable strength. The country has developed a sophisticated robotics supply chain, substantial manufacturing scale, access to many of the critical materials and components required for advanced robotics, and strong government support for artificial intelligence and automation.

These competitive advantages have enabled Chinese manufacturers to produce increasingly capable robots at lower costs while maintaining attractive profit margins. If Unitree continues to execute successfully, the company has the potential to become one of the flagship names within the global robotics industry.

At the same time, the geopolitical backdrop is becoming increasingly important. As strategic competition between the United States and China expands beyond semiconductors into AI, advanced manufacturing and robotics, companies such as Unitree are likely to remain at the centre of both technological innovation and evolving trade policy.

For investors, however, the immediate focus will be on demand for the IPO itself. Strong institutional and retail interest suggests Unitree has the potential to follow the successful debut of the CXMT IPO and become another closely watched Chinese technology listing.

Whether you're looking to understand one of China's fastest-growing AI companies or speculate on its valuation ahead of listing through Pepperstone's pre-IPO market, the Unitree IPO is shaping up to become one of the defining technology events of 2026.