China's Humanoid Robot Rental Market Soars with Over 5,500 Orders in Three Months
AGIBOT's SHAREBOT subsidiary has seen over 5,500 rental orders in its first three months since launching in December 2025. The platform offers humanoid robots for rent at daily rates starting around $517, which includes shipping and a human operator.
E-commerce livestreamer Ai Lin in Hangzhou rents out his own android for $443 a day to customers who use it for exhibitions, events, and even marriage proposals. He paid $30,000 for the robot in 2025 after being inspired by its performance on China's Spring Festival Gala.
The humanoid robot rental market is expected to reach $1.5 billion by the end of 2026, with state-run media counting over 153,000 robot rental businesses in China. Investors are buying humanoids for short-term rentals, including one Jiangsu buyer who purchased eight robots in 2025.
SHAREBOT CEO Li Yiyan sees rentals as a stepping stone for robots to transition from exhibition pieces to large-scale deployment. Beijing has launched an initiative to accelerate real-world deployment, aiming for over 100 high-value application scenarios by the end of 2026.