China's AI cobots are no longer science fiction and millions of factory workers are about to find out

China's cobot market shipped 49,500 units in 2025 with 45.59% year-over-year growth, driven by rising wages (6-8% annually since 2018) and labour scarcity; collaborative robots are now economically rational for factory managers at RMB 80,000-100,000 price points, with domestic manufacturers capturing 57% of the Chinese industrial robot market for the first time.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Robotics, Manufacturing Tech and Industrial Automation. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur reasons over.