Watch: The Chinese robot that jumps 2 meters high and runs at 45 km/h

China's Unitree unveiled a new fast robot today (Monday), which it dubbed "Superman," just days before it is expected to become the first multi-purpose robotics company whose shares will be traded on the stock exchange in China. Unitree, the world's largest manufacturer of humanoid robots in terms of sales, will begin trading in Shanghai on Wednesday, after raising 6.1 billion yuan ($905 million) last week in an initial public offering (IPO).

The company, based in Hangzhou, stated that it developed the new robot in just over three months. The robot managed to perform a standing jump to a height of 2 meters and reached a maximum speed of 12.66 meters per second (about 45 km/h). Unitree stated that the robot's development is not yet complete and that its performance can be further improved in the coming months.

The debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange coincides with the opening of the World Robot Conference in Beijing, increasing investor attention to the company, whose humanoid robots have gained global exposure thanks to their ability to run, dance, and perform martial arts exercises. Demand from retail investors in the IPO was more than 8,000 times the volume of shares offered — a record for the STAR market in Shanghai, which focuses on technology companies.

Alongside the surge in its activity, Unitree is also facing increasing pressure from the US. At the end of July, the Trump administration imposed restrictions on the import of new models of advanced robots from China, including humanoid robots, citing concerns over national security, data collection, and cyber risks. The move could harm Unitree, which is considered one of the world's leading companies in the field and holds, according to Counterpoint Research data, just under a fifth of the global humanoid robot market. The company was also added to the list of firms that the Pentagon defines as supported by the Chinese military.

In a post published on social media last week, Unitree stated that by July it had produced and delivered a cumulative total of about 18,000 bipedal humanoid robots of several models. Founder Wang Xingxing gained exposure after receiving a seat in the front row last year at a summit convened by Chinese President Xi Jinping with the participation of the country's top technology entrepreneurs. The startup is also supported by some of the most influential technology companies in China, including Tencent, Alibaba, and DeepSeek.

Ahead of the start of trading in Unitree shares in Shanghai, trading in derivatives in markets outside China pointed to the possibility of a strong debut. The stock may also benefit from the broader recovery in Chinese technology stocks following the wave of selling recorded last month. The STAR 50 index has recovered by about 15% since the three-month low to which it fell in early August.