MagicLab

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MagicLab is a Chinese robotics and embodied AI company, officially Magic Atom Robotics Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., that builds general-purpose humanoid robots and quadruped robots for industrial, commercial, and consumer use. Founded on December 18, 2023 and headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, the company is known for the MagicBot G1 industrial humanoid, the acrobatic MagicBot Z1 bipedal robot, and the MagicDog quadruped. MagicLab develops over 90% of its hardware in-house and had raised roughly 650 million RMB (about $89 million USD) by early 2026.^[1][2][3]

MagicLab gained widespread public recognition in February 2026 when its robots performed at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala before an audience exceeding 1.2 billion viewers. The company's flagship products include the MagicBot G1, a full-size industrial humanoid with 42 degrees of freedom and a 20 kg per-arm payload, and the MagicBot Z1, a compact and agile bipedal robot known for performing backflips and martial arts moves. By early 2026, MagicLab was operating in 27 countries and regions.^[3][4][5]

ELI5: What is MagicLab in simple terms?

MagicLab is a Chinese company that builds real-life robots. Some look like people (humanoids) and can walk, wave, carry boxes in factories, and even do backflips and dance moves. Others look like robot dogs (quadrupeds) that can run, climb stairs, and show simple emotions. MagicLab makes most of the robot parts itself instead of buying them, and its dancing robots became famous in China after appearing on a huge New Year TV show watched by more than a billion people.

Who founded MagicLab and when?

Although MagicLab was formally incorporated on December 18, 2023, the company's core team began working on robotics well before the official founding. The team started research and development of quadruped robots as early as August 2020 and participated in the development of Xiaomi's first-generation CyberDog, a consumer quadruped robot that attracted significant attention when it launched in 2021. The team transitioned into the humanoid robot field at the end of 2022 and released its first humanoid prototype in early 2023.^[1][6]

The company was co-founded by Wu Changzheng, Chen Chunyu, and Gu Shitao. Wu Changzheng, who served as the company's first CEO, previously led the development of Xiaomi's CyberDog quadruped robot project, giving him deep experience in both robotics engineering and large-scale product development. Chen Chunyu, who serves as CTO and legal representative, brings over a decade of R&D and management experience in humanoid robotics. He has led MagicLab's technical architecture and product development since January 2025. Gu Shitao serves as co-founder and President, overseeing overall company strategy and commercialization.^[1][7][8]

MagicLab's legal name is Magic Atom Robotics Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. The company registered with a capital of 100 million RMB as of December 2025. Its headquarters are located at No. 98 Jianghaixi Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province.^[9]

History

Early development (2024)

Through 2024, MagicLab focused on building its core technology platform and product lines. The company developed proprietary joint modules, reducers, drivers, and main control systems, establishing the vertical integration that would become a defining characteristic of its approach. By mid-2024, MagicLab had developed its first full-size humanoid robot, the MagicBot Gen1 (later designated as the MagicBot G1).^[1][2]

In December 2024, MagicLab released video footage showing multiple MagicBot G1 units collaborating on a production line at an electronics factory. The robots performed product inspection, material transport, precision assembly, barcode scanning, and inventory management. This demonstration was notable as one of the first instances of multiple humanoid robots working together on real production tasks rather than in controlled laboratory settings. A MagicLab researcher acknowledged at the time that the robots were "still in the skill training and learning phase" and could not yet operate fully autonomously.^[10][11]

Growth and public recognition (2025)

In February 2025, MagicLab unveiled the MagicHand S01, an 11-DOF dexterous hand designed for its humanoid robot platform. The hand features proprietary six-axis electric actuators, tactile sensors, and a combined four-finger grip force of approximately 9.1 kg.^[12]

In March 2025, the company launched the Thousand Scenarios Co-creation Plan, an initiative to collaborate with global partners on creating 1,000 application scenarios for humanoid robot deployment. Early partners included Dreame Technology, Coopas, Ucar Technology, and others spanning retail, manufacturing, and specialized application sectors.^[3][9]

Commercial sales began in May 2025, and by the end of the year MagicLab had secured 500 million RMB in letters of intent within six months, with firm orders totaling 130 million RMB (~$18 million USD). The company partnered with more than 100 organizations worldwide for proof-of-concept validation and pilot deployments.^[3][5]

The MagicBot Z1, a compact 140 cm bipedal humanoid, was officially announced on July 8, 2025. Its debut video, showing the robot performing martial arts spin kicks, backflips, and dodging an arrow with a side flip, went viral and further raised MagicLab's public profile.^[13]

At the World Robot Conference in August 2025, MagicLab showcased its complete product family for the first time. In October 2025, the company released the MagicDog Y1, an industrial-grade quadruped robot. By year's end, MagicLab had planned production of approximately 400 humanoid robots, with delivery targets scaling to thousands of units in 2026.^[3][9]

2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala

MagicLab's most prominent public moment came on February 16, 2026, when its robots performed at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, one of the most-watched television events in the world, with an audience exceeding 1.2 billion viewers. Two MagicBot G1 units and six MagicBot Z1 units shared the stage with pop stars Yi Yangqianxi and Jerry Yan in a song-and-dance number titled "Intelligent Manufacturing Future." The G1 units performed interactive gestures such as waving, while the Z1 units executed synchronized choreography including the Thomas 360 breakdance spin, which MagicLab claimed was an industry first for a humanoid of that size. Additionally, over 100 synchronized MagicDog quadruped robots, dressed in giant panda costumes, performed swarm control demonstrations at the Yibin sub-venue, showcasing multi-agent coordination capabilities.^[4][14][15]

MagicLab was named one of four strategic robotics partners for the Gala, alongside Unitree, Galbot, and Noetix, in deals reportedly valued at around 100 million yuan ($14 million USD) combined.^[4][14]

The commercial impact was immediate. Within minutes of the broadcast, MagicLab's robots sold out on JD.com. Platform data showed that within two hours, searches for robots surged by 300%, customer service inquiries increased by 460%, and order volumes jumped by 150%. New orders arrived from over 100 cities across China.^[16]

International expansion and leadership transition (2026)

MagicLab made its international exhibition debut at CES 2026 in Las Vegas in January 2026, showcasing the MagicBot G1, MagicBot Z1, and MagicDog. The company followed this with an appearance at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona in March 2026, where the MagicBot G1 demonstrated multilingual interaction as a "shopping guide" in Spanish and English, the Z1 performed choreography from the Spring Festival Gala and danced to the international hit "Makeba," and a biomimetic "Robotic Panda" featuring a three-degree-of-freedom head actuation system drew significant visitor attention.^[17][18]

In February 2026, MagicLab established its national headquarters in Liangxi Science and Technology City in Wuxi. The announcement coincided with the launch of the "Liangxi Sky Workshop Smart Lead Industry Fund," a 10-billion-yuan fund targeting investment in embodied intelligence, AI, aerospace information, and the low-altitude economy. Co-founder Gu Shitao described the headquarters as "a critical integration hub for core components, system design, and application scenarios."^[19]

Since launching its internationalization strategy in 2025, MagicLab has expanded to operate in 27 countries and regions, with overseas revenue growing to represent over 30% of total revenue (peaking at 60% in a single month). The company has established localized presences in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.^[9][19]

On March 9, 2026, MagicLab announced the completion of its Series A funding round of 500 million RMB (~$68 million USD), led by Tuopu Group. Industry insiders have noted that the company is pushing toward a potential IPO, with key capital market developments expected in 2026.^[3][8]

Who leads MagicLab?

Wu Changzheng (founder, former CEO)

Wu Changzheng co-founded MagicLab and served as its first CEO. Before starting the company, he led the development of Xiaomi's CyberDog, a consumer quadruped robot project that demonstrated his ability to bring robotics products from concept to mass production. Wu's core team at MagicLab included members who had also worked on the CyberDog project.^[1][6]

Wu believed that the future of humanoid robotics would not emerge from spectacular demonstrations but from gradual integration into industrial systems. In his view, robotics adoption is fundamentally a process transformation challenge rather than a single technological breakthrough: factories, logistics networks, and production environments must adapt in order to integrate intelligent machines effectively.^[6]

Wu departed MagicLab at the end of February 2026, with his exit officially confirmed on March 6, 2026. The company did not name a replacement CEO at the time of the announcement. MagicLab denied claims of a "divergence in development philosophy" between founders and investors, though questions persisted about potential strategic differences. Reports indicated that Wu subsequently began a new entrepreneurial venture, though details remained undisclosed.^[7][8][20]

Chen Chunyu (co-founder, CTO)

Chen Chunyu is MagicLab's co-founder, CTO, and legal representative. He has over a decade of R&D and management experience in humanoid robotics and has led the company's technical architecture and product development since January 2025. Chen also serves as the company's director and general manager.^[7][8][9]

Gu Shitao (co-founder, President)

Gu Shitao is MagicLab's co-founder and President. He leads the company's overall strategy and commercialization efforts. Gu has advocated a dual approach to growth: pursuing long-term "technology peak-climbing" goals such as factory integration, while capitalizing on near-term commercial opportunities like inspections, retail guidance, and consumer robot products. In early 2026, Gu revealed that MagicLab is accelerating its listing process, with news expected in the secondary market by the end of 2026. He described the Wuxi Liangxi headquarters as a critical hub for harnessing capital and ecosystem resources to move embodied intelligence from technological breakthrough into large-scale commercialization.^[3][8][19]

Current leadership team

Following a major management reshuffle in March 2026, MagicLab appointed several new leaders to strengthen its capabilities across research, commercialization, and international expansion.

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The restructuring was widely interpreted as a shift toward professionalized management aimed at accelerating commercialization and positioning the company for a potential public listing.^[7][8]

Team composition

At the time of its angel funding round in December 2024, MagicLab had approximately 100 employees. Over 80% of staff were dedicated to research and development, and more than 50% held master's degrees or higher. Core team members graduated from institutions including Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Beihang University, New York University, and Stanford University.^[1][6]

How much funding has MagicLab raised?

MagicLab has completed multiple funding rounds since its founding, raising a total of approximately 650 million RMB (~$89 million USD).

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The angel round was led by Zhui Chuang Venture Capital, a fund connected to Dreame Technology (the home appliance and robotics company that initiated the Zhuichuang Robot Industry Venture Capital Fund in August 2024, with a total target scale of 11 billion yuan). The funds were allocated to technology R&D, mass production of complete robots, and initial commercialization.^[1][6]

The Series A round, led by Tuopu Group (an automotive parts manufacturer listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange), focused on accelerating product iteration, cost optimization, and establishing a leading market position. Tuopu Group's involvement was expected to strengthen MagicLab's manufacturing systems, core component supply chain, and mass production capabilities through collaboration in intelligent and automated industrial manufacturing scenarios.^[3]

Other notable backers include Empyrean Venture (Dreame Technology's venture capital arm), Kington Capital, and UNT Capital. These investors provide both funding and industrial collaboration opportunities, particularly for real-world scenario testing.^[8]

What is MagicLab's strategy?

"Embodied Intelligence + X" framework

MagicLab pursues a strategy it calls "Embodied Intelligence + X," built on a "1+2+N" framework:

• 1: One full-stack technology platform integrating hardware and software
• 2: Two core product lines (humanoid robots and quadruped robots)
• N: N ecosystem touchpoints to build what the company calls "an intelligent ecosystem for the real world"

The company's full-stack approach means it designs and manufactures its own joint modules (including the P60N30, D90, P90N20, P110, H60, H70, and T28 series), dexterous hands, reducers, drivers, body structures, and main control systems. This vertical integration gives MagicLab tighter control over performance specifications and cost structures compared to competitors that rely on third-party components.^[1][2][3]

Commercialization and globalization

MagicLab frames its growth strategy around two pillars: commercialization and globalization. Domestically, the Thousand Scenarios Co-creation Plan launched in March 2025 aims to collaborate with 1,000 partners across 1,000 application scenarios. Strategic partnerships include a procurement agreement with Dreame Technology for phased deployment of humanoid and quadruped robots across factory and retail settings.^[3][9]

Internationally, the company has expanded rapidly since launching its overseas strategy in 2025, operating in 27 countries and regions by early 2026. Overseas revenue grew to over 30% of total revenue, with a monthly peak exceeding 60%. The company has established localized presences in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.^[9][19]

What robots does MagicLab make?

MagicLab offers a diversified portfolio spanning humanoid robots, quadruped robots, robotic hands, and joint modules.

Humanoid robots

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The MagicBot G1 (also called MagicBot Gen1) is MagicLab's full-size general-purpose humanoid robot. Standing 174 cm tall, it features 42 active degrees of freedom, a dual-arm payload of 20 kg per arm (40 kg total), IP66 dust and water resistance, and approximately 100 TOPS of onboard AI compute. It is designed for factory automation, logistics, precision assembly, and commercial service. MagicLab describes it as "China's first general-purpose humanoid to achieve multi-unit collaboration" in industrial settings. The robot runs on MagicLab's Magic Atom Motion Control Platform, supporting both imitation learning and reinforcement learning.^[2][10]

The MagicBot Z1 is MagicLab's compact, agile humanoid robot, standing 140 cm tall and weighing 40 kg. It uses low-inertia, high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motors running at a 25 kHz control frequency, enabling acrobatic movements including backflips, martial arts kicks, and the Thomas 360 breakdance spin. The Z1 is offered in a Standard Edition (~$39,800 USD) with 24 DOF and a Development Edition (up to 50 DOF) for enterprise and research use. It targets education, research, commercial service, and home companionship markets.^[13][14]

Quadruped robots

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The MagicDog is described as the world's first quadruped robot dog capable of autonomously expressing emotions, powered by MagicLab's proprietary Emotional Interaction System. It uses 13 degrees of freedom (12 aluminum-alloy precision joint motors plus body articulation) and features a comprehensive sensor suite including 4K, dual-lens, ultra-wide-angle, and depth cameras, along with microphone arrays, laser, ultrasonic, and touch sensors.^[21]

The MagicDog W is a wheel-leg hybrid that combines the flexibility of legs with the speed of wheels, allowing seamless transitions across flat surfaces, slopes, and high steps. The MagicDog Y1 is an industrial-grade variant designed for factory inspection and outdoor operations, rated IP67 for dust and water protection and capable of operating in temperatures from -20 C to 55 C.^[9][21]

Components

The MagicHand S01 is MagicLab's proprietary 11-DOF dexterous hand, designed for both the G1 and Z1 humanoid platforms.

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The hand integrates proprietary six-axis electric actuators, encoders, and tactile sensors. Its actuators are built with a 30% safety margin to ensure reliability during sustained industrial operations. MagicLab claims the hand can replicate approximately 70% of human hand gestures.^[12]

MagicLab also manufactures a range of joint modules in-house (including the P60N30, D90, P90N20, P110, H60, H70, and T28 series) that serve as the building blocks for its robot platforms.^[9]

How does MagicLab's technology work?

Magic Atom Motion Control Platform

The Magic Atom Motion Control Platform is MagicLab's proprietary software platform for robot locomotion and manipulation. It supports both imitation learning and reinforcement learning for training new behaviors. MagicLab claims that new movement behaviors can be trained within a 24-hour cycle, and that developers can teach the Z1 a new motion sequence in approximately 20 minutes using its multi-source data pipeline and standardized controller framework. The system enables real-time adaptive joint stiffness, allowing robots to dynamically adjust their compliance based on the task being performed.^[2][13]

Atomic Myriad Model

MagicLab has developed the Atomic Myriad Model (also called the Atom Universal Large Model), a proprietary AI system that integrates action expert systems with multimodal large language models. This model is designed to enable more natural human-robot interaction and task understanding. In November 2024, MagicLab confirmed discussions with ByteDance to integrate the Doubao LLM into future MagicBot generations, potentially enhancing natural language understanding and multimodal reasoning capabilities.^[2][9][22]

MagicData AI engine

The MagicData AI engine processes four types of training data: synthetic data, teleoperation data, imitation learning data, and real-time scene data. The engine supports both local and cloud-based data annotation, processing, and simulation training, providing the data infrastructure for MagicLab's robot learning pipeline.^[2]

MagicNet fleet management

A distinguishing capability of MagicLab's platform is MagicNet, a multi-robot collaboration and fleet management system. MagicNet enables coordinated operation of multiple robot units, supporting both the MagicBot G1 and Z1 platforms. Key features include:

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MagicNet is designed for factory and campus deployments where multiple robots need to work in coordination. The system allows mixed fleets of Z1 and G1 robots to operate together, with lighter tasks assigned to Z1 units and heavier manipulation work routed to G1 units. The system integrates with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G connectivity for campus-wide orchestration and MES data flows.^[2][10][23]

Developer tools

MagicLab provides SDKs for ROS 2, C++, and Python, along with prebuilt simulation environments and templates for pick-and-place, shelf scanning, autonomous navigation, and teleoperation tasks. The Development Edition of the Z1 includes open APIs for custom application development.^[13][23]

Where are MagicLab robots deployed?

Industrial automation

MagicLab's primary deployment focus is factory automation. The MagicBot G1 has been demonstrated performing product inspection, material transport, precision assembly, barcode scanning, and inventory management on real production lines. In partnership with Dreame Technology, MagicLab has signed a strategic procurement agreement for phased deployment of humanoid and quadruped robots across factory and retail settings.^[3][10]

Commercial service

Under the brand name "Xiaomai" (meaning "little wheat" in Chinese), MagicLab has deployed robots in commercial service roles including retail reception and shopping guidance in home appliance stores, parking assistance at commercial facilities, event ushering, hotel concierge operations, car dealership support, and hair salon assistance. At MWC Barcelona 2026, the MagicBot G1 demonstrated multilingual interaction as an "international shopping guide," fluently switching between Spanish and English.^[18][24]

MagicLab has also deployed "unmanned stores" and "coffee robots" across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuxi. Trial data from these deployments showed foot traffic surging over 100% at locations featuring robots.^[3]

Assistive applications

Through its "Light Guide 001" Project, MagicLab is developing robotic solutions to assist visually impaired individuals. The company has created a four-legged companion robot with AI-powered interaction capabilities designed to help with tasks such as shopping and hailing taxis.^[9][24]

Key milestones

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Intellectual property

As of February 2026, MagicLab held 80 granted or published patents and 8 registered software copyrights. The company has also filed multiple trademark registrations including MAGICDOG and Magiclab.^[9]

Awards and recognition

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Who are MagicLab's competitors?

MagicLab competes in China's rapidly growing humanoid robot market. Global humanoid robot installations reached roughly 16,000 units in 2025, with China accounting for over 80% of the total. GGII (Gaogong Industry Research Institute) projected domestic shipments of approximately 18,000 units in 2025 (a nearly 650% increase over 2024), growing to 62,500 units by 2026. By 2025, more than 140 domestic manufacturers had released over 330 humanoid robot models. Among China's leading companies, AgiBot led with roughly 5,100 units shipped, Unitree followed with approximately 5,500 cumulative units, and UBTECH secured over 1.4 billion yuan in humanoid robot orders.^[16][25]

Key competitors in the Chinese and global humanoid robot market include:

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MagicLab differentiates itself through the MagicBot G1's high per-arm payload (20 kg, significantly exceeding most competitors), demonstrated multi-robot collaboration via MagicNet, over 90% in-house hardware development, and a dual-model strategy spanning both industrial (G1) and consumer/commercial (Z1) segments. The company's early factory deployments and growing international presence (27 countries by early 2026) also distinguish it from competitors still primarily in the R&D or prototype phase.^[2][3][10]

See also

• MagicBot G1
• MagicBot Z1
• Humanoid robots
• Embodied AI
• Quadruped robot
• Unitree G1
• UBTECH Walker S2
• Figure 02
• AgiBot A2
• Robot learning
• Imitation learning

References

1. "Embodied Intelligence company Magic Atom completed a 150 million yuan Angel round of financing," 36Kr, December 2024 ↩
2. "MagicLab MagicBot Review: Price, Specs & Factory Deployment," Robozaps, 2026 ↩
3. "MagicLab Officially Announces 500 Million Yuan New Funding," Gasgoo, March 2026 ↩
4. "Humanoid robots take center stage at 2026 Spring Festival Gala," TechNode, February 2026 ↩
5. "Chinese Embodied AI Startup MagicLab Bags USD20.6 Million in Angel Funds," Yicai Global, December 2024 ↩
6. "China's 'Iron Legion': Wu Changzheng and Wang He and the Breakthrough Year of Embodied Intelligence," The Icons, March 2026 ↩
7. "MagicLab's management undergoes major reshuffle," Gasgoo, March 2026 ↩
8. "Major Personnel Reshuffle, What Game Is MagicLab Playing?," Gasgoo, March 2026 ↩
9. "Magiclab Robotics Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.," Baidu Baike%20Co.,%20Ltd./1538573) ↩
10. "MagicLab's humanoid army turns factory into precision powerhouse," Interesting Engineering, December 2024 ↩
11. "MagicLab MagicBot Collaborative Industrial Humanoid Robots," Mike Kalil, December 2024 ↩
12. "MagicLab Unveils MagicHand S01 Dexterous Hand," Yahoo Finance, February 2025 ↩
13. "MagicBot Z1 robot nails spin kicks, dodges arrow with a side flip," Interesting Engineering, July 2025 ↩
14. "Humanoid robots at Spring Festival Gala grab headlines," Global Times, February 2026 ↩
15. "Analysis: China's biggest TV event had a clear star: the robot," CNN, February 2026 ↩
16. "Orders for robots surge after Spring Festival Gala," China Daily, February 2026 ↩
17. "MagicLab made its debut at CES, accelerating global development," PR Newswire, January 2026 ↩
18. "From Cultural Icon to Commercial Path: MagicLab Redefines the Future of Robotics at MWC," PR Newswire, March 2026 ↩
19. "MagicLab Establishes National Headquarters in Wuxi," Gasgoo, February 2026 ↩
20. "Magic Atom Founder and Ex-CEO Wu Changzheng Leaves, Starts New Business," Digital Phablet, March 2026 ↩
21. "MagicLab MagicDog Quadruped Robot Guide," Robots LATAM ↩
22. "Magiclab Develops Third-Generation Humanoid Robot, in Talks for Collaboration with ByteDance's Doubao Model," TMTPOST, November 2024 ↩
23. "MagicLab MagicBot Z1: AI-Powered Humanoid Robot for Industry, Research & Education," Robots International ↩
24. "Watch China's humanoid robot valet cars, style hair, assist in hotels," Interesting Engineering, 2025 ↩
25. "Why China's humanoid robot industry is winning the early market," TechCrunch, February 2026 ↩