Humanoid Robotics: How to Invest in Potentially $5 Trillion Market - Business Insider
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Key takeaways
- The United States has enacted a comprehensive ban on new imports of foreign‑made humanoid robots, with the Trump administration citing national‑security risks and concerns that Chinese robots could gather sensitive data and supply it back to Beijing.
- The ban, announced on July 28, 2026, also covers four‑legged robots and foreign power inverters used in data centres, reflecting fears that such components could undermine U.S.
- In the wake of the ban, Chinese robot makers—particularly Unitree, which has partnered with Nvidia to use the Blackwell chip—are preparing to go public, while other firms like UBTech, AgiBot, Leju Robotics, and DEEP Robotics have filed for listings on Hong Kong and mainland exchanges.
- Meanwhile, the industry’s rapid pace continues: a Chinese humanoid robot won a Beijing half‑marathon in early 2026, and the World AI Conference in Shanghai showcased a fleet of Chinese humanoid robots, underscoring the country’s dominant 85 % share of the global market.
- U.S. investors are taking notice; Morgan Stanley and Barclays have projected that the humanoid sector could reach $5 trillion by 2050 and $200 billion by 2035, with Hightower’s chief strategist encouraging clients to explore opportunities, especially as Amazon’s 2025 shareholder letter hinted at the company’s deployment of a million robots.
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The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.
The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.
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A prototype of Tesla's Optimus robot. Morgan Stanley predicts that humanoid robotics will be a $5 trillion business by 2050, with more than a billion robots walking the earth. The numbers are a bit less colossal in the near future, but still portend real growth, with Barclays predicting a potential $200 billion humanoid market by 2035.
Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist of $353 billion wealth manager Hightower, said she's recently started investing in the space, and is advising clients to take a closer look. If generative AI is in the third inning and the cybersecurity ripples it's caused are in the second inning, humanoid robots "haven't even stepped into the batter's box," she said.
Generative AI has then been the "nitrous oxide" that's caused the industry to accelerate, Ahern said, and while robots have long changed the face of American manufacturing, AI promises a more autonomous future.
Meanwhile, breakthroughs in battery technology and the actuators and other mechanical components that facilitate movement have caused the price of a humanoid robot to drop nearly 30 times in the last decade, according to Barclays.
Suddenly, the promise of a robot that's more efficient than a human worker comes into view:
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