Ant Group expands into humanoid robots with 12 investments

Ant Group, the Alibaba affiliate behind Alipay, is increasing its presence in China’s humanoid robotics sector. The company led a 500 million yuan funding round for Zeroth, bringing the startup’s total funding to 1 billion yuan. According to CNBC’s analysis of PitchBook data, this is Ant’s 12th investment in the sector since the start of 2025. Its bets have covered robot makers as well as chip, software, and parts startups, reflecting a broader push into AI and robotics. Ant has also been building products around that strategy, including an AI and roboticscompatible version of Alipay. Zeroth said it wants to work with that platform as it develops robots for home use, beginning with elder care and pet care before moving into education and other consumer applications.