AsiaEditors' PickHumanoid Robots, Drones And Green Energy: The 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 Entrepreneurs Innovating In Industry, Manufacturing & EnergyGuo Renjie, founder of JoyIn TechnologyTim Gao for Forbes AsiaByYue Wang,
Guo is one of the entrepreneurs on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: Industry, Manufacturing & Energy list who are creating humanoid robots and playing a part in this booming industry in China.
His company’s lineup also includes a $4,000 version of Wall-E, the robot in Disney’s classic animation movie of the same name, following a licensing deal with the film production giant. “With the rapid changes in technology, robots can satisfy more needs,” says Guo, adding that JoyIn has received nearly 20,000 pre-orders for the M1 as of April, including from schools and elderly care centers in China, with deliveries expected to start in December.
JoyIn was valued at $351 million in October and has raised over $70 million across three rounds from investors including IDG Capital, Jinqiu Capital and Eastern Bell Capital. After undergrad studies in energy and power engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University, Guo earned a master’s degree in finance and economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He returned home to work at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager before moving to Dreame Technology, a Chinese maker of smart home appliances. The founder says he plans to launch his robots in Europe and the U.S. later this year.
Six other Chinese makers of robots made the list this year, including Hu Chenxu and Jiang Zheyuan, cofounders of Noetix Robotics Technology. Started in 2023, their Beijing-based startup has developed five humanoid models that have participated in China's robot half-marathons and performed during the 2026 Spring Festival gala. One of them is Bumi, a 98-centimeter-tall humanoid launched in 2025. With a price tag of less than $1,500, the companion robot can walk, run, dance as well as play games with children. The startup has raised over $150 million in funding from investors including CICC Capital, Unity Ventures as well as an investment arm of Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL).
Another is Zerith, the brainchild of Cheng Yi and Min Yuheng who cofounded the robotics company in early 2025. The startup's flagship product is Zerith H1, a humanoid that can perform a diverse range of tasks including cleaning tables as well as sorting goods at supermarkets and warehouses. The robot, which comes with a price tag of 199,000 yuan ($29,000), started shipping globally in the second quarter of this year, according to the company.