As Beijing’s Linkerbot prepares for its next phase of growth, it has become the latest big unicorn in China’s blossoming robotics industry. The company, which has honed its skills in making very dexterous robotic hands for humanoid robots, now expects to raise upward of $6 billion in its next funding round. The target would double the company’s current valuation of $3 billion, which it recently completed in its Series B+ round.
It shows the growing investor confidence in China’s humanoid robotics sector, one of the hottest technology industries in China. Linkerbot is set to become a global leader in the field of robotic hand technology with the backing of major investors like Ant Group, HongShan Group, Zhongguancun Science Park Fund, Bank of China Asset Management and Fosun Capital.
Linkerbot, which was established just two years ago, is already the leader in the field of high DOF robotic hands. The company now holds over 80% of the world market in this special field. This is due to the increasing demand for complex humanoid robots to accomplish complex human tasks, and its growth is very fast.
Whereas there are a lot of robotics firms that specialize on creating whole humanoid robots, Linkerbot is centered on one of the most technically difficult aspects, the robotic hand. The design of a robotic hand is perhaps the most challenging aspect in the field of humanoid robotics due to its need of high precision, flexibility, coordination, and sensing ability.
Linkerbot CEO Alex Zhou thinks that achieving human dexterity is key for the future of humanoid robots. The goal of the company isn’t just to make robotic hands, he explained, but to digitally re-create human craftsmanship and manipulation. The startup’s goal is to render human hand motions into robots’ programmable functions, so that the machines can mimic the actions with precise accuracy.
The heart of this approach is the company’s own LinkerSkillNet platform. This multimodal data collection system is an advanced system that records, analyzes and standardizes human hand skills to re-use as robotic actions. The platform has already over 500 dexterous manipulation skills, and the list is growing quickly.
Technology enables robots to execute tasks that demand very sensitive hand coordination – something that traditional industrial robots are unable to do. Many humanoid robotics firms are teaching robots to do simple tasks like cleaning, or moving things around, while Linkerbot is interested in teaching robots to do high value craftsmanship jobs that demand closer and more precise movements.
It is a company’s specialization that provides significant competitive advantage. In sectors like electronics manufacturing, healthcare, advanced assembly lines, laboratory operations and precision engineering, the need for robots that can manipulate sensitive materials while making fine movements akin to that of humans is growing.
The interest level of investors in the humanoid robotics industry has risen rapidly in China this year. Impressive public demonstrations by key players in the robotics industry have created a broad awareness and confidence in the commercial application of humanoid robots. Important achievements in fields like artificial intelligence, motion control and machine coordination have been demonstrated at events like the Beijing humanoid robot half-marathon and robot shows on television.
The most prominent among them is Unitree, which recently applied to go public on the Shanghai stock exchange, at a valuation of up to $7 billion. The shift is a testament to the fast-growing, and now private and institutional capital-friendly, China robotics sector.
The company’s plans also reflect the aggressive expansion the industry is taking. The company now makes approximately 5,000 units of robotic hand units a month and will increase this to 10,000 units a month in the near future. The startup would be able to satisfy the growing global demand of robotics companies and automation firms with such a pace of manufacturing.
There has been an increase in the competition to create more advanced humanoid robots around the world, particularly in recent years, following projects from companies like Tesla on robotics. The incredible engineering challenges required to mimic the function of the human hand have been highlighted by Tesla’s humanoid robot project, Optimus. Humanoid robotic hands are one of the most challenging parts of humanoid robotics that Elon Musk has recognized on numerous occasions.
This is the opinion of industry experts. “Robotic hands involve a lot of engineering in them,” said Georg Stieler, head of robotics and automation at technology consultancy Stieler. “It’s a combination of hardware design, software intelligence, sensor integration and precise motion control.
The development of dexterous robotics is also closely linked to the development of artificial intelligence. AI systems can analyze environmental information, learn from human demonstrations, and adjust movements in real-time, all of which are essential for the modern humanoid robots. Firms such as Linkerbot are embedding AI-based learning models into robots to enable greater flexibility and dynamic operation.
The other crucial advantage for companies like Linkerbot is the strong manufacturing base in China. The Chinese robotics companies can access a supply chain, engineering talent, government support, and large-scale production facilities that enable them to rapidly innovate while keeping production costs competitive.
Investment funds backed by the government are also making a significant contribution to speeding up development. Robotics and automation are considered by China as strategic technologies for its future economic development, industrialization and competitiveness. Hence, private investors and public institutions are investing billions of dollars in the sector.
However, there are still challenges to be faced, despite the excitement. Challenges in humanoid robotics include cost efficiency, battery life, reliability, safety, and adaptability to real-world environments. Many robots are good at working in a controlled environment, but not in an unpredictable human environment. But, companies that specialize in advanced robotic hands might help address one of the most critical issues that holds back humanoid robots from being more widely adopted.
The quick development of Linkerbot shows the enormous value of specialization in the innovation of new industries. The company did not aim at competing with other humanoid robot makers, but mastered one key part. Those tactics have turned the startup into one of the most valuable robotics firms on the planet after just two years.
With the rising competition in AI and robotics in the world, it is quite possible that Linkerbot’s next funding round will gain a lot of attention internationally. With the potential to achieve its $6 billion valuation target, the company could further solidify China’s standing in the global humanoid robotics and intelligent automation industry.
