Corrected: EXCLUSIVE-Chery's robot affiliate AiMOGA eyes IPO, targets overseas market

Chery Automobile

19/08/2026 08:10

 (Corrects August 19 story to change description of AiMOGA as a
Chery affiliate, not its division, in headline and first
paragraph)
    * AiMOGA targets 10,000 global robot deliveries next year,
chief Zhang says
    * Company has deployed 110 humanoid police robots across
multiple Chinese cities
    * Zhang said overseas demand may be stronger in Middle East
and Southeast Asia

    By Qiaoyi Li and Kevin Krolicki
    BEIJING, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A robotics affiliate of China's
largest auto exporter Chery Automobile  9973.HK  is gearing up
for an IPO to fund future growth and investments, its chief said
on Wednesday, as competition intensifies in the country's
fast-growing humanoid robot sector.
AiMOGA Robotics is in talks over potential listing venues and
expects to sharply increase humanoid robot deliveries next year
as it seeks to join the ranks of global robotics heavyweights,
Zhang Guibing, head of the business and president of Chery
International, told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Robot
Conference in Beijing.
    "We're making the relevant preparations now ... and
currently in discussions with several (IPO) locations," he said,
adding a listing could provide funding for future technology
investments while enhancing governance, transparency and
operational standards.
    Reuters reports the IPO plans for the first time. Zhang
declined to provide details on the timing or venue of a
potential listing.
    Separate listings of subsidiaries and affiliates are not
uncommon at Chery — with auto parts supplier Bethel Automotive
listing on the Shanghai exchange in 2018 and robotics and
automation firm Efort going public on Shanghai's STAR Market in
2020.  
The move comes as investor enthusiasm for China's robotics
industry surges. Unitree  688836.SS , the country's best-known
humanoid robot maker, soared nearly six-fold in its Shanghai
trading debut on Wednesday, while startup Lumos Robotics told
Reuters that it was also considering a stock market listing next
year.
     
    POLICE ROBOTS
    China's robotics industry has become a new battleground in
the Sino-U.S. technology rivalry, drawing investment from
automakers and technology firms betting that advances in AI and
autonomous systems will speed the commercial adoption of
humanoid robots.
    Companies are racing to find viable applications beyond
factories, from retail and customer service to policing and
public safety.
    Incubated by Chery in January 2025, AiMOGA has delivered
more than 3,000 robots globally, with 2,000 overseas, and
operates in more than 60 countries and regions. 
    The company aims to deliver 10,000 robots globally next year
and eventually aims to rank among the "world's top" robotics
firms, Zhang said.
Earlier this year, AiMOGA unveiled humanoid police robots, with
110 units already deployed across multiple Chinese cities to
assist with traffic management, crowd guidance and public-safety
awareness campaigns.
    Zhang said the company identified traffic management as a
promising application after finding that traffic police often
work in harsh conditions — exposed to extreme weather, air
pollution from vehicle emissions and a higher risk of accidents.
    He said robots could help address labour shortages in such
roles and that the need could be even greater overseas,
particularly in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast
Asia, where high temperatures and heavy rainfall make the job
more challenging.       
    The robotics startup developed a bipedal humanoid robot
initially deployed in Chery dealerships and has been expanding
into public-service applications. 
    China's robotics industry resembles the country's electric
vehicle sector a few years ago, with many companies emerging
rapidly and competing intensely.     
Zhang expects consolidation over time to strengthen the
industry's technology base, but he also said, "competition,
particularly on costs, is likely to be fierce".
To diversify beyond the domestic market, the company is
expanding overseas, with service robots and companion robots
leading its initial overseas expansion, Zhang said.    
When asked about a possible foray into the U.S., Zhang said:
"the company's ambition was to serve global markets, but that
expansion would require adapting to different local regulations
and customer needs." 
He said in May that Chery is considering entering the U.S.
market at a suitable time.
    Chery, China's largest vehicle exporter for the past several
years, is among a growing number of Chinese automakers investing
in humanoid robotics, betting that advances in AI and autonomous
systems can help accelerate the commercialisation of service
robots.
    "Humanoid robots could take about a decade to mature before
seeing rapid adoption," Zhang said.

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 (Reporting by Qiaoyi Li and Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Miyoung
Kim and Saad Sayeed)
 ((mailto:qiaoyi.li@thomsonreuters.com;))