Chery’s robotics division is preparing for a public listing to fund growth and investment, its chief said on Wednesday, as competition intensifies in China’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, said 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 that a listing could provide funding for future technology investments while improving governance, transparency and operational standards. Zhang declined to give details on the timing or venue of a potential listing.
Zhang is a familiar figure in South Africa. As Chery executive vice president he fronted the group’s formal takeover of Nissan’s Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria in July, at a ceremony attended by deputy president Paul Mashatile and Chery group chairman Yin Tongyue. Chery said then that it wanted South Africa to serve as its African hub not only for manufacturing and exports but for research and development and regional operations.
The group agreed in January to buy the plant, which Nissan had run for six decades, and has committed to retaining all 692 existing employees while creating close to 3 000 direct and indirect jobs. Production is due to start in mid-2027 with the Chery Tiggo Cross, ramping to 15 000 vehicles in the second half of that year and 50 000 a year by the end of 2028.
Police robots
Chery is now the second biggest passenger car brand in South Africa, behind only Toyota, a position built entirely on imports. However, nothing Zhang said in Beijing pointed to robots being built or sold locally.
China’s robotics industry has become a new battleground in the Sino-US technology rivalry, drawing investment from car makers 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.
Read: From care homes to production lines, the robots are coming
Incubated by Chery in January 2025, AiMoga has delivered more than 3 000 robots globally, 2 000 of them overseas, and operates in more than 60 countries and regions. It aims to deliver 10 000 robots globally next year and eventually 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 several 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. Robots could help address labour shortages in such roles, he said, and the need could be greater overseas, particularly in regions such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where high temperatures and heavy rainfall make the job more difficult.
The start-up developed a bipedal humanoid robot initially deployed in Chery dealerships and has been expanding into public-service applications.
Listing fever
The move comes as investor enthusiasm for China’s robotics industry surges. Unitree, the country’s best-known humanoid robot maker, rose nearly sixfold in its Shanghai trading debut on Wednesday, while start-up Lumos Robotics said it was also considering a listing next year.
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 said “competition, particularly on costs, is likely to be fierce”.
Read: Humanoid robots are now faster than the world’s best runners
To diversify beyond the domestic market, the company is expanding overseas, with service robots and companion robots leading its initial push, Zhang said. — Qiaoyi Li and Kevin Krolicki, (c) 2026 Reuters, with additional reporting (c) 2026 NewsCentral Media
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