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Chinese robotics firm Botshare introduced a "999 yuan (US$145) robot experience program for everyone" ahead of Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year this month, according to the South China Morning Post.
Rental prices start at 999 yuan per day for an eight-hour booking and can rise to 99,800 yuan per day for high-end customized services.
AgiBot, the world’s largest humanoid robot maker, launched its Qingtian Rent platform in December 2025. The platform offers humanoid robots for 16 types of events, including weddings, business meetings and concerts, according to Interesting Engineering.
Currently operational in 50 cities, Qingtian Rent has onboarded 600 service providers and over 1,000 robots already, CEO Li Yiyan revealed.
Chinese robotics firm Agibot's humanoid robots in a performance during a robot gala on Feb. 8 2026. Video courtesy of Agibot
Last weekend, the Shanghai-based company staged a livestreamed robot gala in which its humanoid machines performed skits, sang, danced and executed kung fu routines to promote its rental services.
The service is priced at 99 yuan for a 90-minute session, with an engineer on site to install and calibrate the equipment.
The robot rental trend gained momentum earlier in 2025 when Unitree Robotics’ G1 and H1 humanoid robots drew attention for their performances at the Chinese New Year Gala. Their appearance briefly pushed up rental prices for humanoid robots.
However, as more robots entered the market and companies such as Unitree and AgiBot moved toward mass production, competition increased and the initial surge in rental prices eased.
According to Omdia, Chinese manufacturers shipped most of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots delivered worldwide in 2025, surpassing U.S. rivals such as Tesla and Figure AI.
AgiBot shipped an estimated 5,168 units last year, leading global deliveries, followed by UBTECH Robotics, Omdia said.
Jiang Qingsong, Botshare’s chairman and a partner at AgiBot, said at the launch that a leasing platform could connect users, rental intermediaries, content developers and manufacturers, accelerating adoption.
The platform also features humanoid models from other companies, targeting scenarios ranging from cultural tourism and corporate events to shopping mall promotions and retail openings.
