Baidu, SAIC back China's Galbot in $100M robotics round
What's the deal? Galbot, a Beijing robotics startup, has raised $100 million in a late-stage round backed by strategic investors SAIC MotorDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Malaysia's Eastworlds, Baidu Group, and Shoucheng Holdings. Financial backers included GSR Ventures, SUNHELM, CITIC Goldstone Investment, China Securities InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, CCB InternationalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Huatai Zijin.
What's the endgame? Founded in May 2023, Galbot develops general-purpose robots powered by multimodal large models. It says its products have been deployed in commercial, industrial, and medical settings.
How big is this round? The $100 million deal sits in the top 10% of all-time late-stage venture rounds for Chinese robotics firms, based on a sample of 218 comparable deals. It follows the company's 1.1-billion-yuan Series B in June 2025, led by battery maker CATL.
Why now? Chinese robotics funding has surged. Embodied-AI companies raised US$12.9B across 322 deals in the first half of 2026 — five times the year-earlier total, according to Reuters.
What could go wrong? Strategic funding and automaker ties don't guarantee results. The key test is whether Galbot can convert that support into practical, large-scale deployments.
The signal: Automakers and their investment arms are increasingly chasing robotics, pairing AI with manufacturing know-how. SAIC has also backed humanoid developer X Square, and Baidu's involvement reflects a sector-wide push — reinforced by China's plan to invest US$137.5B in robotics and high-tech industries.
Read more: techinasia.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
