China's Gen Z inventor aims to build the 'Android' of humanoid robots

In April 2025, Beijing-based startup RoboParty, founded by Huang Yi—one of China’s youngest humanoid-robot entrepreneurs—officially launched with the goal of creating a fully open-source bipedal humanoid robot platform. Huang, born in 2004, initially gained attention for building “AlexBot,” a walking humanoid robot developed on a modest budget during his first year at Harbin Institute of Technology. After releasing an upgraded version, “AlexBotmini,” and graduating early, he shifted focus to RoboParty’s flagship project, the “ATOM” robot, which aims to be China’s first fully open-source humanoid robot platform. Huang advocates that an open-source approach accelerates ecosystem development by promoting shared standards, reducing collaboration barriers, and enhancing security and global competitiveness. RoboParty’s launch aligns with a broader national push by Chinese authorities to advance robotics, AI, and humanoid technologies as strategic priorities. Significant government-backed funding initiatives were announced in early 2025,