Unitree’s IPO filing shows how cheap robots are taking over

Unitree, a Chinese company making dog-like robots for under $2,000, just filed to go public. These bots walk, climb stairs, carry packages, and even follow you home. They’re not sci-fi. They’re already in warehouses, hotels, and homes — mostly in China, but heading west.

No fancy AI buzzwords. Just motors, sensors, and a battery that lasts all day. A delivery robot that costs less than a good laptop. A security bot that doesn’t sleep, doesn’t ask for a raise, and won’t call in sick.

The filing shows Unitree sold over 15,000 robots last year. Most went to businesses, but families are buying them too — for kids, for elders, for the cousin who runs the auto repair shop and needs an extra pair of eyes.

The U.S. hasn’t caught up yet. But when the first wave hits — when the robot shows up at your laundromat, your bodega, your abuela’s house — it won’t be because someone in Silicon Valley decided to "disrupt". It’ll be because it’s cheaper, tougher, and just works.

Why this matters for us: When the cheapest robot in the room is the one your abuela talks to every morning, the hustle doesn’t just get automated — it gets family.