HKEX File Photo

Chinese robot producers are rushing to list in Hong Kong, with nearly 30 companies filing for IPOs this year, according to the Shanghai Securities News. This year is likely to become a landmark one for listings for the sector, driven by a pivotal shift as the industry moves from technical breakthroughs toward large-scale commercial deployment, experts told the Global Times on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) website showed that Shenzhen LDRobot had submitted a main board listing application, which had been formally accepted. The company develops vision-based infrastructure for intelligent robots and supplies perception systems and complete robotic units for emerging application scenarios.

On Friday, Seer Robotics updated its prospectus with the HKEX. According to the filing, the company is an intelligent robotics firm centered on robot control systems, and its controllers ranked No.1 in sales in both 2023 and 2024.

On November 25, A-share listed Zhongjian Technology filed its first IPO application with the HKEX. The company plans to use the funds raised to support projects including the industrialization of quadruped robots and related components.

The HKEX website showed that nearly 30 companies in the robotics industry have filed to list this year. The lineup ranges from emerging players such as Chengdu CRP technology and Ningbo Physis Technology, to A-share firms including Zhaowei Machinery & Electronics and Zhongjian Technology, that are seeking H-share listings. It spans robot producers such as Shenzhen LDRobot and Roborock, as well as supply-chain companies developing and manufacturing core components such as bearings, structural parts, sensors and motors, according to the Shanghai Securities News.

Experts told the Global Times that China's strong supply-chain and manufacturing capabilities, along with policy support, are positioning the country to play a major role in the global wave of robot industrialization, helping drive the surge of robotics IPOs in Hong Kong.

Ma Jihua, a veteran telecom industry observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday that with artificial intelligence booming this year and valuations for related firms rising across the capital market, robotics companies see the current window as an ideal moment to go public and secure strong financing.

"Most domestic robotics companies are still in a heavy-investment phase, with R&D and mass production requiring substantial capital. Going public can quickly plug funding gaps, and the earlier a firm enters the capital market, the better-positioned it will be in future competition," Ma said. 

The robotics supply chain is expanding fast in China, and strong players are emerging across every link. With so many companies scaling quickly, a wave of listings is only natural, he noted.

Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Hong Kong's market tends to price technology firms based on growth prospects rather than short-term profits. He noted that this stems from its investor structure, including a deeper understanding of technological barriers, market potential and industry trends.

Wang added that Hong Kong, as a key hub for international capital, continues to attract long-term investment that supports high-growth companies. Its policy environment also encourages technological innovation, further strengthening the market's recognition of and appetite for hard-tech firms such as robotics companies.

Global capital is pouring into robotics, especially humanoids. According to the Humanoid Robot Scene Application Alliance, global financing for humanoid robots exceeded 32.8 billion yuan ($4.63 billion) across more than 140 deals as of the end of September. China accounted for about 86 percent of those deals (about 120), making it the main battleground of this investment boom, according to Securities Times.