China has been building humanoid robots in bulk since 2024. What started as a government-mandated industrial push has evolved into one of the most competitive startup categories in the world — dozens of companies racing to build AI systems that can operate in physical environments, manipulate objects, navigate unpredictable spaces and work alongside humans on factory floors, in warehouses and eventually in homes. Follow every Asia startup funding story at BestStartup Asia.
On September 21 2026, Zhongyi Embodied Intelligence raised nearly CNY 100 million — approximately $15 million — from Anda Intelligent and Shengangtong Capital. The Beijing startup builds embodied intelligence systems: AI that does not live in a server or a chatbot interface, but in a physical body that perceives the world through sensors and acts on it through actuators.
What Embodied Intelligence Actually Means
Embodied intelligence is the AI category that most directly bridges the gap between software and the physical world. A large language model processes text and generates text. A computer vision system classifies images. An embodied intelligence system perceives a physical environment through cameras, depth sensors and tactile sensors, processes that perception in real time, plans a sequence of physical actions, and executes those actions through motors and actuators — all in a continuous loop that responds dynamically to how the environment changes.
The challenge is immense. The physical world is unpredictable in ways that digital environments are not. A table might have a scratch in an unexpected place. A box might be slightly heavier than anticipated. A person might move through a space in a direction the robot did not expect. Embodied intelligence systems need to handle these variations in real time, without the ability to pause and recalculate, in environments where errors have physical consequences. Read more China and Asia AI startup stories at BestStartup Asia.
China’s Physical AI Wave in 2026
Zhongyi is one of dozens of Chinese embodied intelligence startups that raised funding in 2026. The category has attracted extraordinary investor interest in China — a combination of government policy support for robotics manufacturing, a large industrial base that creates immediate commercial deployment opportunities, and a venture capital community that has identified physical AI as the next frontier after large language models.
The government context matters. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan identified robotics and intelligent manufacturing as strategic priorities. State-backed funds have invested alongside commercial venture capital in dozens of robotics and embodied intelligence companies. The result is a funding environment where early-stage embodied AI companies can raise at valuations that reflect both commercial potential and strategic national importance — creating a capital environment that is difficult for non-Chinese competitors to match on speed and scale.
Zhongyi’s CNY 100 million round from Anda Intelligent and Shengangtong Capital is part of this wave. Anda Intelligent focuses on intelligent manufacturing and robotics. Shengangtong Capital is a technology-focused fund with a portfolio spanning semiconductor, AI and advanced manufacturing companies. Their joint investment in Zhongyi represents both commercial conviction and ecosystem alignment — two investors who understand the industrial deployment pathways that make embodied intelligence commercially viable in China’s manufacturing economy. Also read: China and Japan startup funding September 2026. Follow Asia startup news at BestStartup Asia.
Key Takeaways
Zhongyi Embodied Intelligence raised nearly CNY 100 million on September 21 2026. Backed by Anda Intelligent and Shengangtong Capital. Beijing-based embodied intelligence startup building physical AI systems. Part of China’s government-supported robotics and physical AI wave. Embodied intelligence combines real-time perception, planning and physical action in dynamic environments. Anda Intelligent focuses on intelligent manufacturing and robotics. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan identified robotics as a strategic national priority driving both government and private capital into the category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zhongyi Embodied Intelligence?
Zhongyi Embodied Intelligence is a Beijing-based startup building embodied intelligence systems — AI that perceives, plans and acts in physical environments through robotic bodies. It raised nearly CNY 100 million on September 21 2026 from Anda Intelligent and Shengangtong Capital.
What is embodied intelligence?
Embodied intelligence refers to AI systems that operate in the physical world through sensors and actuators — perceiving their environment in real time, planning actions, and executing them physically. Unlike software AI, embodied intelligence must handle unpredictable physical environments with real-world consequences.
Where can I follow China and Asia startup funding news?
Follow every Asia startup funding round, China AI story and regional ecosystem news at BestStartup Asia — updated every week.
