European robotics start-ups go up against China giants
## Business # European robotics start-ups go up against China giants Qatar Tribune Jun 22, 2026 Agencies Humanoid robots able to perform tasks from grape harvesting to welcoming visitors were front and centre at France’s Vivatech trade fair this week, with...
Key takeaways
- The most recent coverage shows that humanoid robots are moving from laboratory demos into commercial use, with a sharp focus on both European niche solutions and Chinese production scale.
- At France’s Vivatech fair in mid‑June, European firms highlighted new models: Enchanted Tools displayed its socially‑interactive “Mirokai” robot, which can speak more than 50 languages and is already being used in hospitals and airports, while Germany’s Neura unveiled industrial and household humanoids and announced a $1.4 billion funding round to expand production.
- Experts note that Europe is “catching up” behind Japan, Korea and especially China, where 87 % of the roughly 13,000 humanoid units deployed worldwide in 2025 were built, benefiting from massive “dark‑factory” operations at companies such as Unitree and Agibot.
- In the United States, 1X Technologies, backed by OpenAI, demonstrated its Neo robot as a domestic assistant capable of chores like laundry folding and dish‑unloading, underscoring a broader trend of AI‑enhanced robots entering homes.
- Overall, the field is seeing rapid investment from both established tech giants (Tesla, Samsung) and aggressive start‑ups, with a clear push toward safe, reliable machines that can operate alongside people in factories, services and households.
Business
European robotics start-ups go up against China giants
Qatar Tribune
Jun 22, 2026
Agencies
Humanoid robots able to perform tasks from grape harvesting to welcoming visitors were front and centre at France’s Vivatech trade fair this week, with European firms looking to fill niches beyond what dominant Chinese giants can offer. When it comes to sheer robotics production capacity, China is unrivalled thanks to companies including Unitree and Agibot. Their androids’ tightly choreographed displays wowed visitors to Vivatech, the latest fair to show them off in recent months.
Around 87 percent of the 13,000 humanoid robots deployed worldwide in 2025 rolled off a Chinese production line, according to the UK-based consultancy Omdia.
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APEC urges unified action to support fragile global economy Jun 22, 2026 "China is definitely on the forefront” as its companies increasingly show off "dark factories” where robots work largely without human supervision, said Joern Buss, a robotics expert at the consultancy Arthur D Little. Nevertheless, Europe is "catching up” behind Japan and Korea, he added, boasting "some good robotics players” including longstanding firms. New players on the European scene include Germany’s Neura, which builds humanoid industrial and household robots as well as a platform for training them to carry out human tasks.
The company recently announced it had raised $1.4 billion. "We get requests for everything, even dentists, everyone is calling us and asking if they can have a robot as a supporter, because they can’t find people,” chief executive David Reger told AFP.
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