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On December 23, a Chinese robotics startup introduced a new robot rental platform called Qingtian Rent, offering customers the opportunity to lease android robots for various events and purposes. The rental prices can reach up to CNY100,000 (approximately USD14,227) per day, despite ongoing sector uncertainties.
Robots are available for hire through a WeChat mini-program, supporting more than 16 different applications including corporate meetings, trade exhibitions, concerts, and weddings. Pricing depends on the specific scenario and robot model. For instance, the quadruped security robot, D1 Ultra, rents for around CNY500 (USD71) daily, while a package for sports competitions that includes two D1 robots costs as much as CNY99,800 (USD14,227) per day.
Industry analysts note that the rental market still faces hurdles such as fluctuating prices, seasonal demand swings, and incompatible interface standards across various robot brands. The success of Qingtian Rent hinges on whether its open ecosystem can effectively address these key issues and develop a sustainable profit model.
Currently, the platform operates in 50 cities, connecting over 600 service providers and managing more than 1,000 robots, according to the CEO. The company plans to broaden its network to more than 200 cities next year.
A strategic plan dubbed “1234” has been announced, targeting the onboarding of over 10 original equipment manufacturers by 2026. It aims to establish a network of more than 200 top-tier rental service providers, attract over 3,000 content creators, and serve a customer base of 400,000.
This year’s focus will be on entertainment and performance-related rentals, with plans to gradually extend into manufacturing and industrial sectors starting next year, said Jiang Qingsong, chairman of Qingtian Rent.
Sources estimate that China’s robot rental market was valued at over CNY1 billion (USD140 million) in 2025. With new platforms like Qingtian Rent entering the scene, market projections suggest it could expand to at least CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion) in the coming year.
The trend of robot rentals gained momentum earlier this year after a robot performance during the Chinese New Year Gala drew significant attention, causing some humanoid robots’ daily rental rates to spike into tens of thousands of yuan—equivalent to thousands of US dollars. However, as companies such as Unitree Robotics and the Shanghai-based startup increased mass production, the rental prices for mainstream models fell back to between CNY3,000 (USD426) and CNY5,000, making it more challenging for rental firms to secure contracts.
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