Guohua Intelligence Secures Major Financing to Propel Humanoid Robot Advancements
Author: Wu Huaxiu
Editor: Yuan Silai
In an exciting development for the robotics sector, Guohua Intelligence has successfully completed a new round of financing, raising tens of millions. The funding process saw participation from well-known investors, including Xiaomi Industry Investment and Jinyang Co., Ltd., a company listed on the A-share market. This financial boost is aimed at enhancing the development and production capabilities of their core joint modules for humanoid robots. Founder Wang Guang anticipates that this influx of capital will lead to significant technological upgrades across their systems, stating, “We are going to embrace a real explosion point.”
The Rise of Guohua Intelligence
Founded in 2014, Guohua Intelligence began its journey in Beijing, primarily focusing on the research and manufacturing of harmonic reducers. After several years of substantial technological investment, the company relocated to Qingdao in 2021, launching its first production line and beginning the industrialization process. Over the past four years, Guohua has attracted noteworthy funding from investment firms such as Qingdao Milestone Venture Capital and the Qianhai Mother Fund, alongside more recent support from Xiaomi and Jinyang Co., Ltd.
Breakthroughs in Robotics Technology
Guohua has made impressive strides in robotics technology, achieving breakthroughs in essential components like reducers, motors, and drive controllers. This commitment has allowed the company to develop industry-leading, self-researched core components, including harmonic reducers, planetary roller screws, rotary joints, and linear joints. Wang Guang mentioned, “From design to testing, we are able to create a complete set of joint modules in a forward-looking way, which is a rarity in China.”
Strategic Direction: Two-Fold Approach
The company intends to advance its technology in two distinct directions. Firstly, Guohua will focus on core transmission components—namely harmonic reducers and planetary roller screws. Secondly, they aim to integrate these components with other essential components such as motors and sensors to create cohesive joint modules.
Guohua Intelligence’s harmonic joint module (Source: Company)
Precision Engineering: Setting Industry Standards
Taking the harmonic reducer as an example, Guohua has developed over a hundred distinct models tailored for diverse applications, including industrial robots, collaborative robotics, and even aerospace technology. Remarkably, their planetary roller screws deliver a C3 level of accuracy, surpassing the widely used C5 and C7 metrics in China. The integration of pre-loading technology has allowed the company to achieve international leadership in efficiency, backlash, thrust, and service life performance metrics. Furthermore, Guohua has played a pivotal role in formulating four national standards and eight group standards related to humanoid robots’ core components.
Guohua Intelligence’s harmonic reducer (Source: Company)
Market-Driven Product Development
Wang Guang has emphasized that their product development is not a one-off but a market-driven process. “Each generation of products has emerged due to clear performance and cost targets set by our customers, and we work backward to find the most effective technical solutions,” he explained.
Collaborating with Industry Leaders
One particularly noteworthy endeavor is Guohua’s close collaboration with Xiaomi on their humanoid robot project. This collaboration has enabled Guohua to provide comprehensive support throughout the project cycle—from designing to final production for crucial components like upper-body joint modules. In Wang Guang’s perspective, this close partnership has enabled the company to transition from customized R&D to standardized mass production.
Guohua Intelligence’s linear joint module (Source: Company)
Navigating Competitive Landscapes
In the increasingly competitive landscape of the domestic humanoid robot industry, Guohua’s self-research capabilities and responsive production processes are its key advantages. The company can optimize its offerings rapidly, from material treatments to machine testing on core links like harmonic reducers and planetary roller screws, allowing for fast adaptations to customer requests.
“When others face long delivery timelines, we’re able to respond quickly. This agility is a significant edge for a startup,” Wang Guang stated. However, he acknowledges that production capacity and organizational scalability need enhancements. “Our goal is to evolve from a startup R&D company to one capable of large-scale production.”
Diverse Market Applications
Guohua Intelligence’s product offerings extend over various fields—from humanoid robots to commercial aerospace and industrial manufacturing equipment. In the humanoid robot sector, the firm supplies significant components to leading manufacturers and fully engages in projects from concept through to optimization. Additionally, they’ve leveraged their expertise in the aerospace domain by supplying SADA systems for low-orbit satellites, facilitating solar panel deployments and antenna point controls. Their offerings in industrial manufacturing equipment, namely harmonic reducers and high-precision planetary roller screws, have filled crucial roles in numerous mass-production projects.
Automating Production for Greater Efficiency
These cross-sector applications have led to significant improvements in Guohua’s manufacturing and testing capabilities. The company has established China’s first automated production line for joint modules in Qingdao, equipped with advanced measures like coordinate measuring machines, precision gear detectors, and even 5-ton vibration tables. Additionally, Guohua has undertaken retrofits of domestic machinery to ensure they can meet international machining accuracy standards.
The Economic Value of Joint Modules
The joint modules designed by Guohua are central to the overall functionality of humanoid robots, representing nearly 60% of the bill of materials (BOM) cost. These components determine the overall machine’s movement capabilities and directly impact reliability and lifespan. Recent domestic technological advances have largely concentrated on harmonic reducers and integrated joint modules—yet few companies possess full-cycle, self-research capabilities across reducers, motors, and drivers—a domain where Guohua is leading.
Future Outlook: Consolidating Market Share
Looking ahead, Wang Guang conveyed that Guohua plans to enhance its role within the humanoid robotics sector while securing its market position ahead of anticipated industry growth. He believes the competitive dynamics in humanoid robot joints will increasingly resemble those of the automotive sector, where consistent quality, reliable delivery, and stringent cost management will be pivotal for sustained success.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead
The successful conclusion of this financing round places Guohua Intelligence at a crucial junction, where it pivots from an R&D-driven model to one focused on industrialization. With its humble beginnings as a small team in Beijing a decade ago, the company has grown into a robust manufacturing base employing over 90 individuals and capable of producing 50,000 precision transmission components annually. As they face rising competition from both domestic and international players, Wang Guang remains grounded, asserting, “We do not chase trends or make empty promises. Delivering high-quality joint modules will ensure the ‘body’ of humanoid robots follows the rapid advancements of their ‘brains.’”
