Beijing Xiantu Qiyuan, founded by ex-NUDT robotics lab team, completes first equity round

Beijing Xiantu Qiyuan Technology Co., Ltd. has completed its first equity financing round since its establishment, with the addition of a new shareholder — Changsha Qifu SME Development Investment Fund — following a business registration change in late September.

The seed round raised tens of millions of RMB, with Qifu Capital holding approximately 6.25% equity. Several other investment institutions are currently in the process of closing their investments.

Company Background

Founded in June 2024, Xiantu Qiyuan positions itself as an "Embodied Intelligence Task Execution Expert." Its core team originates from the Robotics Laboratory of the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) , bringing with it approximately 30 years of R&D experience.

• In 2000, the lab developed China's first humanoid robot, "Xianxingzhe" (Pioneer) , marking the country's first breakthrough in bipedal humanoid robotics.
• During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the lab led the development of China's first-generation quadruped bionic robot, "Tie Ma" (Iron Horse) .

Leadership Team

• Qin Haili — Chairman & CEO. Holds a Master's degree in Control Science and Engineering from NUDT, with 20 years of experience in military equipment systems and scientific research project management. He has deep expertise in the requirements and development patterns of specialized equipment.
• An Honglei — CTO. Holds a Ph.D. from the School of Intelligence Science at NUDT and served as Deputy Director of the Robotics Laboratory. He was the Chief Systems Engineer for national key R&D programs and 863 Program projects, with long-term focus on solving robotics application challenges in specialized industries.

Core Capabilities

Xiantu Qiyuan has built a rare full-stack R&D capability covering hardware, software, algorithms, and robot bodies, enabling high-level technology reuse across quadruped and humanoid platforms.

"For robots to move from the lab to the frontlines of industry, the real test is never about flashy single-point demonstrations, but whether they can complete tasks stably under real-world working conditions."

Based on this philosophy, management has prioritized two product categories that customers genuinely need and are willing to pay for:

1. Quadruped Robots for Special Operations and Hazardous Environments

Targeting real-world scenarios such as:

• Emergency rescue
• Power grid inspection
• Hazardous environment operations
• Complex terrain transportation

These robots are designed to replace personnel in dangerous, unstructured environments. Future plans include multi-robot cluster collaboration for large-scale, high-complexity missions.

2. Mobile Manipulation Robots for Industrial Scenarios

Among various complex working conditions, power industry scenarios are the company's preferred entry point due to:

• High environmental enclosure
• Strict safety requirements
• Mature task workflows
• Clear customer willingness and ability to pay
• Demanding requirements for hand-eye-brain coordination

Xiantu Qiyuan's core technical team has long supported leading power industry clients, enabling the company to deploy robots in real industrial settings and solve the most difficult "last centimeter" challenges, turning them into deliverable, verifiable, and stable productivity.

Vision and Funding Use

"The generation of 'Xianxingzhe' gave China its own humanoid robot. Our generation's mission is to make robots truly leave the lab and enter the mission site — becoming reliable partners on the frontlines of emergency rescue, in power grids, and at wind farms."

— Qin Haili, CEO

The funds from this round will be used primarily for:

• Building the R&D team
• Developing and preparing for mass production of quadruped robots
• Joint R&D and scenario deployment of mobile manipulation robots for industrial settings

Roadmap

• 2026: Complete development of a basic quadruped robot and begin small-batch delivery
• 2027: Scale delivery of quadruped robots for special operations and public safety both domestically and internationally, and scale delivery of industrial mobile manipulation robots in key scenarios such as the power sector