Robots are not new to investors. Instead, what’s new is the scale of checks being written for companies pairing fast-improving AI agents with machines that can perform practical tasks in the real world. That helps explain why embodied-AI startup PsiBot, also known as Lingchu Intelligence, was able to raise a hefty 2 billion yuan ($280 million) just two years after its founding, in its angel and Pre-A funding rounds.
The company didn’t disclosed a valuation in its announcement of the funding last week. But the headline number stands out for its size for such a young company, in a sector that generated just $440 million in global humanoid-robot sales in 2025, according to IDC.
Just as important as the amount is the timing. Symbolically, PsiBot’s March 10 announcement came during China’s annual “Two Sessions,” the highpoint of its annual political season where the government discusses priorities for the year ahead. This year’s meeting was especially significant as it featured the unveiling of China’s 15th Five Year Plan, which put fresh emphasis on AI, robotics, and their industrial deployment. In that context, PsiBot’s funding looks like more than a simple vote of confidence in a single startup. It fits nicely into a broader push by policymakers and investors to move AI beyond the drawing board and into the real economy.