Ant Group invests $73.6M in Zeroth, its 12th humanoid robotics deal

Ant Group has led a 500 million yuan ($73.6 million) funding round in humanoid robotics startup Zeroth, its 12th investment in the sector since the beginning of 2025, according to CNBC analysis of PitchBook data.

The Alibaba affiliate is deploying capital across the humanoid robotics stack — from full-body machines to components and software — as it diversifies beyond its core mobile payments business. Regulators halted Ant's $34.5 billion IPO in 2020, and the company has since launched a healthcare app, released its own AI models, and established a humanoid robot subsidiary called RobbyAnt in late 2024.

"Ant's investment strategy mirrors what we saw in autonomous driving five years ago — placing multiple bets across the supply chain rather than picking a single winner," Guo Renjie, founder of Zeroth, told CNBC. "They're building optionality in a market that could be worth hundreds of billions."

Zeroth, founded in late 2024 and known formally as Suzhou JoyIn Intelligent Technology, has now raised 1 billion yuan in total, including participation from Monolith, Geely Capital, 37 Interactive Entertainment and Hua Capital. The company claims orders for more than 30,000 units and said operating revenue in the first half of the year surged 600% from a year earlier. Guo plans to begin overseas sales in North America and Europe this fall, pending local compliance approvals.

Ant's dealmaking spree comes as China's humanoid robotics ecosystem matures rapidly. Unitree Robotics, backed by Ant, Alibaba, Tencent and Sequoia Capital China, passed its Shanghai Stock Exchange IPO review in 73 days — a record for the tech-heavy STAR board — and reported 1.7 billion yuan in 2025 revenue with net profit of 591 million yuan. Laifu Harmonic, a maker of precision harmonic reducers used in robot joints, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a market value exceeding HK$9 billion after raising funds through Series F. Lingxin Qiaoshou, a dexterous hand developer, completed seven financing rounds in roughly one year and is targeting a $6 billion valuation, according to media reports.

The investments signal that Ant Group sees humanoid robotics as a natural extension of its AI strategy. The company has released an AI and robotics-friendly version of its Alipay mobile payments service, which Zeroth said it would like to integrate. Nvidia also expanded its robotics hiring in China this week, adding roles in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

For investors, the question is whether Ant's portfolio approach will pay off before the IPO window closes. Unitree's rapid listing path suggests the market is hungry for pure-play humanoid robotics exposure, but most portfolio companies remain pre-revenue or early-stage. Ant's willingness to fund 12 companies in 18 months — from full-robot builders like Galaxea and Unitree to parts suppliers like Linkerbot, Hypershell and Genrobot AI — indicates it is betting the sector will consolidate around a few vertically integrated winners, much as the smartphone industry did a decade ago.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.