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Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing and AgiBot co-founder Peng Zhihui have joined an advisory board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), in a move underscoring Beijing’s strategic drive to deepen ties between the onshore stock market and high-tech innovation. The SSE on Monday announced the formation of its third Committee on Science and Technology Innovation – a 60-member advisory body that includes prominent figures such as chip-tool veteran Gerald Yin Zhiyao and John Deng Zhonghan, often dubbed “the father of the Chinese chip”. Yin, who renounced his US citizenship and restored his Chinese nationality, chairs and leads Shanghai-based Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC), while Deng is chief executive of Beijing-based chip designer Vimicro International. Established in 2019 to guide the development of the Star Market – China’s Nasdaq-style tech board – the committee has steadily expanded, from 48 members initially to 58 in 2023 and now a full roster of 60. The latest line-up spans a broad range of strategic sectors, featuring Trina Solar founder and chairman Gao Jifan, Great Wall Motor chief growth officer Li Ruifeng, and BrainCo founder Han Bicheng, whose neuro-technology start-up is a rival to Elon Musk’s Neuralink. BrainCo and Unitree, both based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, are recognised among the city’s “Six Little Dragons” – a group of pioneering robotics firms driving advances in humanoid and intelligent machines. Both are also preparing for public listings. Unitree had begun groundwork for an A-share offering on the mainland and aimed to file its listing documents before the end of this year, the company said. BrainCo, meanwhile, was seeking fresh funding at a valuation above US$1.3 billion before pursuing an initial public offering in mainland China or Hong Kong, according to an August report by Bloomberg. AgiBot is likewise believed to be expanding its capital-market footprint. In July, the humanoid robot start-up announced plans to acquire a controlling stake in Shanghai-listed Swancor Advanced Materials, prompting speculation about a potential back-door listing, a claim the company denied. It remains unclear how the advisory appointments of Unitree and AgiBot executives might affect their relationships with the exchange. Under SSE rules, committee members must observe strict integrity requirements and avoid conflicts of interest. “Members shall not exploit their advisory status to seek improper benefits or engage in business promotion,” the exchange said, adding that they must recuse themselves from cases involving companies where they or close relatives serve as directors or senior executives. Committee members serve two-year terms, renewable without limit. Their part-time role is to provide advisory opinions on enterprises’ innovation attributes, business operations and technologies during the listing review process, according to the SSE.
