Ant Group leads $73.58M round in humanoid robot startup Zeroth
What's the deal? Ant Group, the Alibaba affiliate, has led a 500 million yuan ($73.58 million) early VC round in Chinese humanoid robotics startup Zeroth.
It marks Ant Group's 12th investment in the humanoid robotics sector since 2025.
Why now? Zeroth says it has booked orders for more than 30,000 units, with operating revenue up 600% year-over-year in H1 2026.
The startup plans to start selling in North America and Europe in autumn 2026, pending local compliance approvals.
Ant Group also released an AI and robotics-friendly version of its Alipay payment service, and Zeroth has signalled interest in collaborating.
What could go wrong? Zeroth's international push hinges on meeting compliance requirements in each market, which could slow its expansion.
The company's steep growth figures also come off a small base, leaving open questions about whether demand holds as it scales.
The signal: Zeroth, pitched as a next-generation embodied intelligence player, has hit breakout stage on the back of corporate backing from Ant Group rather than traditional VC money. That reflects a wider pattern in China's humanoid robotics race, where tech giants are using their balance sheets — and platforms like Alipay — to lock in early positions across the emerging ecosystem.
Read more: Intellectia, CNBC
Image credit: K3NMA
