JD.com makes investments in three Chinese embodied AI startups during a single-day surge.

      Credit: Spirit AI

      JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce giant, announced on Monday that it had made strategic investments in three companies specializing in embodied intelligence: Spirit AI, LimX Dynamics, and EngineAI. According to the announcements from these companies, the total investment is estimated to have reached nearly two billion yuan ($280 million) in just one day.

      JD.com indicated that its focus is on supply chain scenarios that foster innovative applications, as reported by the local media outlet Securities Times.

      Sources also mentioned that JD.com plans to unveil partnerships with several leading robotics brands during the upcoming World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in late July. These collaborations will involve consumer products such as AI-powered toys and educational robots.

      In this investment round, JD.com invested around RMB 600 million ($84 million) in Spirit AI, while the amounts invested in LimX Dynamics and EngineAI have not been publicly disclosed.

      Spirit AI

      Founded in February 2024, Spirit AI is dedicated to general-purpose embodied intelligence by merging AI brains, robotic hardware, and scenario-based solutions. Its core team boasts experts from Loongson Robotics, Tsinghua University, and UC Berkeley. The company has created the Moz1 humanoid robot, which features force-controlled joints and multimodal foundation models. Spirit AI’s technologies are being readied for use in logistics, new energy, catering, and eldercare sectors.

      LimX Dynamics

      Established in January 2022, LimX Dynamics focuses on the creation of multi-form legged robots, including bipedal, quadrupedal, humanoid, and wheeled systems. Its flagship products, such as the CL-1 humanoid and the TRON 1 biped robot, are designed to navigate complex terrains. The company blends hardware design, reinforcement learning, and large embodied models to develop integrated intelligent platforms. Its applications are found in industrial inspection, logistics, research, and service industries.

      EngineAI

      Founded in October 2023, EngineAI is centered on the development of humanoid robots. Its core product lineup features the research-oriented SA01, the flagship SE01, and the commercial-grade PM01, aimed at educational, industrial, and household applications, respectively. The SE01 stands 1.7 meters tall, offers 32 degrees of freedom, and is capable of walking, running, and flipping.

      Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. You can connect with her via e-mail: [email protected].