China's UBTech Robotics just reported one of the most striking growth figures in the young humanoid robot industry. The Shenzhen-based company sold 1,079 full-size humanoid robots in 2025 — up from just 3 units in 2024. Revenue from its humanoid robot line hit 820 million yuan ($119 million), a 2,203% increase year-over-year, and now accounts for its largest single business segment.

Total revenue rose 53% to 2 billion yuan, while net loss narrowed and gross margin improved to 37.7%. Shares jumped more than 14% on the news.

UBTech attributed the surge to what it calls the "comprehensive acceleration of large-scale scenario-based applications" — translating its Walker S2 platform into factory deployments, logistics workflows, and enterprise automation contracts across China.

The $18M Talent War

Hot on the heels of the results, UBTech posted a job listing for a chief scientist offering up to 124 million yuan annually — roughly $18 million — one of the highest disclosed AI compensation packages in China's tech sector. The role will define the company's humanoid and embodied intelligence roadmap, lead AI model research, and drive what the company describes as the next phase of large-scale commercial deployment.

The offer signals how seriously Chinese robotics firms are treating the talent gap in physical AI. With humanoid robot deployments scaling from single digits to four figures in a single year, the race to build the underlying intelligence layer is accelerating fast.

UBTech's Walker S2 is currently deployed at BYD, Foxconn, and other large manufacturers. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.