A Face-Reliant Robot Secures Two Rounds of Investment from Lei Jun
Shouxing Technology, a robotics company specializing in bionic facial interaction, has announced the completion of its A2 round of financing, amounting to hundreds of millions of yuan. This marks the seventh round of funding since its establishment in 2024, with notable participation from prominent investment institutions such as Lei Jun’s Shunwei Capital and Zhiyuan Robotics.
Shouxing Technology’s core products primarily focus on the robot’s head and upper body, dedicated to creating an emotionally expressive face for AI.
Founder Hu Yuhang, during his research at Columbia University, contributed to the development of the robot Emo, which features 26 actuators beneath its silicone face, enabling independent movement of the eyes, eyebrows, mouth corners, and other facial areas. Instead of pre-programming fixed expressions, the robot learns to control its face by practicing expressions in front of a mirror, much like humans do.
Currently, the most likely buyers for this robotic face are gaming companies, cultural and tourism attractions, commercial exhibitions, and brand events.
At the end of last year, Shouxing Technology collaborated with the game “Justice Online” to create a bionic robot of the game character Fang Chengyi. Its face is equipped with 30 movable muscle units, capable of performing 12 micro-expressions such as raising eyebrows and pursing lips.
A broader vision for Shouxing Technology is to develop the bionic face into a standardized component that other robotics companies can directly use. Most robotics companies currently focus on the body, joints, dexterous hands, and motion control, often lacking a lifelike head.
Shunwei Capital subsequently participated in Shouxing Technology’s A1 round and continued to over-subscribe in this A2 round. The latest round of financing will be used to expand the product matrix, establish standardized mass production lines, and further iterate on bionic interaction algorithms.
Source: Bot Telegraph China