Kinetix AI
Kinetix AI is a Shenzhen embodied AI company, founded in September 2025, that builds its own robot foundation models and humanoid hardware. It is led by chief executive Yu Jie, who previously commercialised Huawei's autonomous mining trucks, with co-founders Luo Ping, an associate dean at the University of Hong Kong, and Zheng Cunyuan, formerly head of robotics at XPeng. Its team of nearly 200 combines engineers from Huawei's autonomous driving division, University of Hong Kong researchers and humanoid robotics veterans. On 26 April 2026 Kinetix AI unveiled KAIBot, a 1.73-metre humanoid with 115 degrees of freedom, one of the highest counts of any humanoid, alongside the KAI Halo Lite data collection headset, the KAI Hand dexterous gripper and an embodied AI infrastructure platform. KAIBot played table tennis against world champion Ding Ning at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games. In September 2026 Kinetix AI raised more than 500 million yuan, about US$75 million, in an angel-plus round led by Vertex Ventures.
💡Notable Achievement: Kinetix AI unveiled KAIBot, a 1.73-metre humanoid with 115 degrees of freedom, on 26 April 2026 and raised about US$75 million in September 2026, led by Vertex Ventures.
What Does Kinetix AI Do?
Kinetix AI is a Shenzhen embodied AI company founded in September 2025 that builds its own foundation models, data tools and the KAIBot humanoid.
“A full-stack embodied AI team from Huawei, XPeng and HKU.”
KAIBot
1.73 metres tall with 115 degrees of freedom.
Data-Model-Hardware Loop
Data collection headset, foundation model and robot developed together.
Funding
About US$75 million raised in an angel-plus round.
What Can Kinetix AI Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Ultra-high degree-of-freedom humanoid with data and model tools.
High-DoF Manipulation
115 degrees of freedom across the body.
Table Tennis
Played table tennis against Ding Ning at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
Data Collection
KAI Halo Lite headset collects demonstration data.
Kinetix AI Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
KaiBot
Manufactured by Kinetix AI
KaiBot by Kinetix AI is a full-size humanoid robot standing 173 cm tall, engineered for household services, light industrial tasks, and research with human-like dexterity and safety. Featuring 115 degrees of freedom—including 36 per hand (22 active, 14 compliant)—it excels in fine grasping, pinching, and compliant interactions mimicking human motion ranges like shoulder lift (-20° to 0°), torso flexion (-15° to 75°), and neck rotation (-15° to 50°). Covered in full-body tactile skin with 18,000 sensing points detecting 0.1N forces, it enables haptic-aware manipulation for safe close-range collaboration. Powered by a 1.7 kWh semi-solid-state battery, it supports 3-4 hours of dual-arm operation at up to 20 kg payload, reaching 5 km/h speeds. The KAI World Model with base-action-evaluation layers predicts environments via simulation-first training, integrating LLMs for intelligent, low-latency responses in dynamic settings.
Kinetix AI Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
Native Embodied Model
Foundation Model for KAIBot
The company's embodied AI model that controls its robots.
Kinetix AI Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Kinetix AI founded in Shenzhen
Yu Jie, Luo Ping and Zheng Cunyuan found Kinetix AI to build embodied AI models and humanoid robots.
Source: ventureburn.com
KAIBot humanoid unveiled
Kinetix AI unveils KAIBot, a 1.73-metre humanoid with 115 degrees of freedom, in Shenzhen.
Source: autonews.gasgoo.com
KAIBot plays Ding Ning at World Humanoid Robot Games
KAIBot plays table tennis against world champion Ding Ning at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
Source: ventureburn.com
$75 million angel-plus round
Kinetix AI raises more than 500 million yuan, about US$75 million, in a round led by Vertex Ventures.
Source: ventureburn.com
Kinetix AI Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Kinetix AI Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Experienced founding team.
- ✓Strong early funding.
Core Strategic Focus
Iterating models, data and hardware together.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •A young company with no published price.
- •High degree-of-freedom hardware is hard to make reliable.
Kinetix AI vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Degrees of Freedom
- KAI (Kinetix AI)
- 115 DoF (Full Body)
- Phoenix (Sanctuary)
- 20 DoF Hands / Upper
- Clone Alpha
- Musculoskeletal Hyd.
- Figure 02
- 40+ DoF
Hand Degrees of Freedom
- KAI (Kinetix AI)
- 36 DoF (with wrist)
- Phoenix (Sanctuary)
- 20 DoF per hand
- Clone Alpha
- Musculoskeletal Hand
- Figure 02
- 16 DoF per hand
Actuation Type
- KAI (Kinetix AI)
- Electric Micro-Rotary
- Phoenix (Sanctuary)
- Electric Rotary
- Clone Alpha
- Hydraulic / Artificial
- Figure 02
- Electric Rotary
Primary Mission
- KAI (Kinetix AI)
- Bio-Physical Intelligence
- Phoenix (Sanctuary)
- Retail & Commercial
- Clone Alpha
- Biomimetic Research
- Figure 02
- Automotive & Logistics
| Strategic Dimension | KAI (Kinetix AI) | Phoenix (Sanctuary) | Clone Alpha | Figure 02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degrees of Freedom | 115 DoF (Full Body) | 20 DoF Hands / Upper | Musculoskeletal Hyd. | 40+ DoF |
| Hand Degrees of Freedom | 36 DoF (with wrist) | 20 DoF per hand | Musculoskeletal Hand | 16 DoF per hand |
| Actuation Type | Electric Micro-Rotary | Electric Rotary | Hydraulic / Artificial | Electric Rotary |
| Primary Mission | Bio-Physical Intelligence | Retail & Commercial | Biomimetic Research | Automotive & Logistics |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Kinetix AI Headquarters
HQShenzhen, Guangdong, China
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Kinetix AI
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Kinetix AI
What is Kinetix AI?
Kinetix AI is a Shenzhen embodied AI company, founded in September 2025, that builds robot foundation models, data collection tools and the KAIBot humanoid robot.
Who founded Kinetix AI?
Kinetix AI was founded by chief executive Yu Jie, formerly of Huawei's autonomous driving business, with Luo Ping of the University of Hong Kong and Zheng Cunyuan, ex-head of robotics at XPeng.
What is KAIBot?
KAIBot is Kinetix AI's humanoid robot, unveiled on 26 April 2026. It stands 1.73 metres tall and has 115 degrees of freedom, one of the highest of any humanoid.
How much has Kinetix AI raised?
In September 2026 Kinetix AI raised more than 500 million yuan, about US$75 million, in an angel-plus round led by Vertex Ventures with F&G Venture and Wanshi Capital.
What other products does Kinetix AI make?
Besides KAIBot, Kinetix AI makes the KAI Halo Lite data collection headset, the KAI Hand dexterous gripper, a native embodied AI model and an embodied AI infrastructure platform.
How much does KAIBot cost?
Kinetix AI has not published a price for KAIBot. The company is focused on developing its models and hardware together before wider commercial sales.
Did KAIBot play table tennis against Ding Ning?
Yes. KAIBot played table tennis against world champion Ding Ning at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games, demonstrating the company's data, model and hardware loop.
How big is Kinetix AI?
Kinetix AI had nearly 200 employees by September 2026, about a year after it was founded, drawing on engineers from Huawei, XPeng and the University of Hong Kong.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Kinetix AI datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.