Nvidia Taps Unitree for Humanoid Robot Research Platform as Chinese Startup Pursues IPO

CNBC reported Monday that Nvidia has chosen Chinese startup Unitree as the hardware partner for its first publicly available Nvidia humanoid robot research system. The announcement came during a keynote address by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Taipei.

A Six-Foot Robot Built for the Lab

The new platform pairs Unitree’s H2 humanoid — standing roughly six feet tall and weighing around 150 pounds — with Nvidia’s Jetson Thor compute module. That module houses Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPU, enabling on-device AI processing. The system also incorporates Nvidia’s Isaac GR00T AI models alongside its simulation and data-generation software stack. Mechanical hands are supplied by Singapore-based Sharpa, giving the robot 25 degrees of freedom per hand and 31 overall.

Huang described the package as purpose-built for academic researchers, arguing that assembling such a system independently would be prohibitively difficult for most institutions. Sales are expected to begin later this year, with an upgraded model called the H2 Plus arriving in October.

Who Is Already Signed Up

At least four institutions have committed to the platform ahead of its commercial launch. They include the Stanford Robotics Center, ETH Zurich, the University of California San Diego’s Advanced Robotics and Controls Laboratory, and Seattle-based nonprofit Ai2. Nvidia’s vice president of physical AI simulation, Rev Lebaredian, framed the initiative as broadening access beyond the largest technology firms and AI unicorns.

Also Read: What Is Physical AI and Why Is Jensen Huang Betting Trillions on It

Unitree’s Global Ambitions and IPO Timing

The partnership arrives at a pivotal moment for Unitree. The Hangzhou-based startup is seeking to raise approximately 4.2 billion yuan — roughly $620 million — through a listing on Shanghai’s STAR board technology exchange. Regulators were scheduled to review the IPO application on Monday. Unitree has disclosed that more than 40% of its existing revenue already derives from international markets, signalling appetite well beyond China’s domestic robotics sector. Venture firm Qiming Venture Partners is listed among its backers.

Why Nvidia Is Moving Into Robotics

Huang has long argued that physical AI — software intelligence embedded in machines that interact with the real world — could eventually represent a market worth tens of trillions of dollars. He told investors last month that he anticipates rapid expansion in robotics over the coming five years. The Unitree deal extends Nvidia’s established edge in AI computing, built on the widely adopted CUDA software platform, into embodied hardware. The move positions Nvidia not merely as a chip supplier but as an integrated robotics-platform provider.

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