AI2 Robotics Raises $735M at $2.8B Valuation for AlphaBot Wheeled Humanoid
Shenzhen-based embodied AI company AI2 Robotics closes a $735M round at a $2.8B valuation, backed by state, industrial and financial investors to scale its Alpha Brain-powered AlphaBot 2 wheeled humanoid.
Key Takeaways
AI2 Robotics raised roughly $735 million on June 29, 2026, pushing its valuation past 50 billion RMB (about $2.8 billion).
The round mixed state-backed funds (National SME Development Fund, China Cultural Industry Investment Fund), regional funds, industrial investors (Moutai Group, Sino Biopharmaceutical, Pharmaron) and financial firms like CICC Capital and GSR Ventures.
Its flagship AlphaBot pairs a humanoid torso with a wheeled base, offering 34+ degrees of freedom, a waist-leg lifting mechanism and a 2.3-foot arm span, easing regulatory approval in public spaces.
All AlphaBots run on Alpha Brain, AI2's proprietary vision-language-action model for spatial reasoning and multi-step planning; AlphaBot 2 is being commercialized in industrial, biotech, public-service and retail settings.
The raise joins a wave of Chinese humanoid financings including Unitree's Shanghai STAR IPO approval, Zeroth Robotics' $73.6M round and X Square Robot's Series C at a matching $2.8B valuation.
Kaan Tınmaz
Shenzhen-based AI2 Robotics has raised roughly $735 million in a fresh financing round that pushed its valuation past 50 billion RMB, or about $2.8 billion, cementing the company's place among the leaders of China's fast-moving physical AI sector.
The Deal
The round, disclosed on June 29, 2026, drew in a rare mix of state, industrial and financial investors. State-backed vehicles including the National Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund and the China Cultural Industry Investment Fund joined regional funds such as the Guangdong Artificial Intelligence Fund, Shenzhen Capital Group and Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industries Investment. Industrial names Sino Biopharmaceutical, Pharmaron, Moutai Group, China Merchants Capital and Wanfeng Holding sit alongside CICC Capital, CSC Financial, Hongtai Capital, GSR Ventures, Bohua Capital and Aisino Capital on the cap table.
What AI2 Robotics Builds
AI2 Robotics develops both the machines and the models that run them. Its flagship AlphaBot series pairs a humanoid torso with a wheeled base, offering more than 34 degrees of freedom, a waist-leg lifting mechanism and a 2.3-foot arm span. That design choice — a stable rolling base instead of pure bipedal locomotion — was deliberate: it clears steeper regulatory hurdles in public spaces while keeping human-like dexterity for industrial work.
Alpha Brain and Commercialization
Every AlphaBot runs on Alpha Brain, AI2's proprietary vision-language-action model that handles spatial reasoning, environment understanding and multi-step planning. The company says it is now actively commercializing AlphaBot 2 across industrial, biotech, public-service and retail settings, a scope that mirrors the mixed-use strategy of rivals such as X Square Robot, which hit a similar $2.8 billion valuation on the same day.
How much did AI2 Robotics raise and at what valuation?
The Shenzhen-based company raised about $735 million in a round disclosed June 29, 2026, valuing it above 50 billion RMB, or roughly $2.8 billion.
What is the AlphaBot and why does it use wheels instead of legs?
AlphaBot is a wheeled humanoid with 34+ degrees of freedom, a waist-leg lifting mechanism and a 2.3-foot arm span. The stable rolling base clears steeper regulatory hurdles in public spaces while retaining human-like dexterity for industrial work.
What is Alpha Brain?
Alpha Brain is AI2 Robotics' proprietary vision-language-action model that powers every AlphaBot, handling spatial reasoning, environment understanding and multi-step planning.
Who invested in AI2 Robotics' round?
Investors include state-backed vehicles like the National Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, regional funds such as Shenzhen Capital Group, industrial names including Moutai Group, Sino Biopharmaceutical and China Merchants Capital, and financial firms like CICC Capital, CSC Financial and GSR Ventures.
