Industry

Unitree IPO frenzy leaves question of when robots will do housework

China’s humanoid robot maker Unitree has pulled off a record-breaking IPO, but attention is shifting from flashy demonstrations to whether its robots can earn money in factories and homes. The company raised about $900 million and was valued at about 61 billion yuan, with heavy subscription demand. Analysts and filings point to limits in dexterity, durability and battery life, while high valuation and U.S. regulatory risks loom.

Industry

Semifive first-half sales 94.7 billion won, up 97 percent on year

Semifive said it posted consolidated first-half orders of 118.9 billion won and sales of 94.7 billion won, reaching 71 percent of last year’s full-year orders and 78 percent of annual sales in six months. ASIC development sales more than doubled to 54.1 billion won. New mass-production orders reached 42.3 billion won, with overseas customers accounting for 45 percent in the second quarter. First-half gross margin rose to 30.6 percent.