# Chinese Humanoid-Robot Startup Robot Era Raises Over $200 Million Led by SF Express

_Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 12:29 AM EDT · Startups, AI, Tech & Business · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

Chinese humanoid-robot startup Robot Era has raised more than $200 million in a new funding round led by logistics firm SF Express. The investment follows a March 5 announcement that the company had secured 1 billion yuan ($146 million) in strategic financing, which pushed its valuation above 10 billion yuan.

Robot Era has deployed robots in more than 10 logistics centers run by SF Express and China Post, achieving 85 percent of human efficiency, according to the company. It plans to deliver thousands of units in the second quarter of 2026. The startup designs its hardware in-house and has co-launched artificial-intelligence tools with a Stanford University team.

The funding round also drew participation from HongShan Capital Group, IDG Capital, CICC Capital, and Kengic Intelligent Technology. Existing backers increasing their stakes included Qingkong Tiancheng Asset Management and Shenzhen Hongruida Information Technology. Other prior investors in Robot Era include Hillhouse Investment, CDH VGC Fund, Gaocheng Capital, Alibaba Group, and Geely Capital.

Robot Era is among several Chinese robotics companies that have closed funding rounds of around 1 billion yuan since the start of 2026, amid a surge of investor interest in commercial humanoid deployments.

## Sources

- [Caixin Global](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2026-04-27/robot-era-raises-more-than-200-million-as-chinas-humanoid-robot-race-heats-up-102438549.html)

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