While Silicon Valley was busy polishing marketing decks in 2025, China was busy shipping robots. New data reveals that Chinese companies captured a staggering 90% of the global humanoid robot market last year, leaving Western rivals like Tesla and Figure playing catch-up.
The numbers are stark. Unitree Robotics led the pack with 5,500 units sold, followed closely by Agibot with 5,168. In comparison, US heavyweights like Figure AI, Agility Robotics, and Tesla sold only around 150 units each. Tesla, in particular, missed its own production target of 5,000 units by a wide margin.
This dominance isn’t accidental—it’s the “EV playbook” all over again. By leveraging a mature supply chain and aggressive state support, Chinese firms are driving down costs and iterating hardware at a pace Western companies are struggling to match. Even Elon Musk admitted at Davos 2026 that China represents the “toughest competition” for Tesla, acknowledging that outside of China, significant rivals are scarce.