TL;DR: Chinese companies accounted for 90% of global humanoid robot sales in 2025. Unitree crushed Tesla’s Optimus targets by shipping over 5,500 units.
Everyone in the US is talking about Tesla Optimus and Figure AI. But the actual numbers tell a completely different story. China is absolutely dominating the humanoid robot market right now.
Nearly 90% of all humanoid robots sold globally last year came from Chinese companies. Unitree alone moved 5,500 units. Another Shanghai company, Agibot, shipped over 5,100. Meanwhile, Western darlings like Figure AI and Agility Robotics sold around 150 each. Tesla completely missed its 5,000-unit target for the year.
They are running the exact same playbook they used to take over the electric vehicle industry. Heavy state funding, a hyper-efficient local supply chain, and a focus on shipping hardware fast. Even Elon Musk admitted at Davos that China is their toughest competition.
Western companies are betting that superior AI software will win the long game. But right now? The East is flooding the zone with affordable, capable metal.