SHANGHAI, March 20th, 2026 —— The ongoing robotics boom has spurred the emergence of new business models, with the robot rental platform drawing intense attention from the capital market and a surge of investment flowing into this track.
Recently, Rebecca Yu, Managing Director of CIC, shared her in-depth perspectives on the development prospects of robot commercial platforms in an exclusive interview with National Business Daily.
Here are the key takeaways from the interview:
Market Dynamics: Deciphering "Volume Surge, Price Decline"
Regarding the market phenomenon of surging leasing demand alongside falling rental prices, Rebecca pointed out that the "volume growth and price decline" is essentially the result of the current market supply and demand, and the market is indeed stepping into a more accessible cultivation phase.
From the demand side, the application value of robots, especially humanoid robots, in commercial scenarios such as live shows and guide reception has been gradually verified, and their role is shifting from a "novel prop" to a "traffic asset". In particular, their concentrated exposure at events like the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has significantly boosted rental demand.
From the supply side, the improved maturity of the industrial chain, coupled with falling prices and released production capacity, has driven a steady improvement in market supply. Meanwhile, the gradual reduction in the cost of key components and the upgraded automation in manufacturing have created room for further declines in the whole-machine depreciation, maintenance and capital costs, thus exerting structural downward pressure on rental prices.
Platform-Oriented: Transforming Fragmented Market to Structured Competition
Regarding the platform-based competition in the robot rental market as players such as AGIBOT and JD.com enter the track, launching models like "Qingtian Rental" with low-price strategies and transforming the market from a chaotic "free market" to platform-based competition, Rebecca was asked about her views on the development of such "Didi-style" platforms and their implications for the living space of small and medium-sized rental providers.
She noted that the entry of platform-based players will bring the robot rental market into a more standardized and transparent stage. The essence of platformization is to turn the scattered supply-demand and service chains into replicable rules, including pricing systems, delivery acceptance, and fault response mechanisms. For customers, the platform model helps lower customer acquisition thresholds, improve price comparability and enhance delivery certainty. For the supply side, platforms are expected to boost equipment utilization and turnover efficiency through centralized traffic entry points and order distribution mechanisms. Models such as "Qingtian Rental" integrate equipment and service providers nationwide into a unified platform system, expand the order pool, and then undertake on-site implementation through the service provider network, which raises the industry's transaction efficiency.
For small and medium-sized rental businesses, Rebecca acknowledged that intensified competition and downward price pressure may create challenges in the short term. However, she sees a longer-term evolution: "The profit margin for businesses relying solely on equipment supply may narrow. In contrast, service providers with capabilities in choreography, scenario design, and interactive content development will still be able to command a premium through differentiated services." Overall, platformization will accelerate market consolidation and shift competition from "equipment supply" to "comprehensive service and delivery capability."
Path to Sustainable Development: Surpassing the "Novelty Factor"
While current demand for robot rentals is largely driven by novelty, Rebecca outlined three critical areas where breakthroughs are needed to transition the market to a model of "sustainable value creation":
Technological Maturity: The focus must shift to improving system stability and autonomous execution in complex environments. "The industry needs to accelerate the engineering implementation of 'brain-cerebellum' collaboration," Rebecca stated, emphasizing the importance of a continuous optimization loop that reduces reliance on intensive manual intervention.
Comprehensive Cost Reduction: Beyond hardware costs, the industry must focus on lowering total delivery costs, including expenses related to choreography, training, and maintenance. Minimizing the need for intensive human oversight is key to achieving scale.
Business Model Innovation: Moving away from price-based competition, Rebecca argued that the core should be enabling customers to pay consistently for deliverable effects and a hassle-free experience—not simply for the rental of the machine itself. "The core is to let customers pay for deliverable effects and peace of mind, not just the rental of the machine," she concluded.
Part of the views in this article were published in National Business Daily: "2026 Cyber Gravitation · Embodied Intelligence Consumer Insights Report | The Humanoid Robot Leasing Business That Surged 10x in One Year: Real Trend or Transitional Phase?"
National Business Daily Report: Keyang; Executive Editor: Huangsheng
About CIC
CIC is a professional consulting firm offering tailored end-to-end support across the full investment and financing lifecycle. The firm boasts a world-leading track record in guiding landmark first-in-sector IPOs across global markets, alongside unrivaled reach and in-depth coverage capabilities across specialized niche market segments.
CIC helps enterprises refine scalable business models and craft compelling capital narratives to enable seamless access to global capital markets, while serving as a trusted due diligence partner to investment institutions. It delivers granular industry insights and direct access to subject matter experts, empowering clients to identify high-value opportunities and mitigate critical risks effectively.
Media Contact