| TARS Robotics | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Full name | TARS (Trusted AI and Robotics Solution) |
| Founded | February 5, 2025 |
| Founders | Chen Yilun (CEO), Li Zhenyu (Chairman), Ding Wenchao (Chief Scientist) |
| Headquarters | Beijing and Shanghai, China |
| Industry | Robotics, Embodied AI |
| Products | TARS A Series (industrial), T Series (general-purpose) |
| Total funding | ~$242 million |
| Website | tars.ai |
TARS (Trusted AI and Robotics Solution) is a Chinese robotics startup founded in February 2025 in Beijing that focuses on embodied intelligence, combining artificial intelligence with humanoid robots to enable machines to interact intelligently with the physical world. Despite being one of the youngest companies in the humanoid robotics sector, TARS raised approximately $242 million within its first year, including what Chinese state media called the largest seed embodied AI investment at the time.[1][2]
TARS was founded on February 5, 2025, by a trio of seasoned technology leaders with backgrounds at some of China's largest tech companies:
The company established dual headquarters in Beijing and Shanghai, with R&D and engineering operations scaling in Shanghai.
In March 2025, just one month after its founding, TARS announced a massive $120 million angel fundraising round, led by Lanchi Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners. This was described as the largest seed embodied AI investment in China at the time.[1]
In July 2025, the company announced an additional $122 million in funding led by Meituan's strategic investment arm, bringing total funding close to $242 million.[3]
TARS publicly unveiled its first two prototypes in December 2025: the industrial A Series humanoid and the general-purpose T Series robot. Both robots share the same AI brain and dexterous upper body but differ in their lower-body designs.[4]
| Product | Type | Locomotion | Target market |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Series | Industrial humanoid | Wheeled or stationary | Manufacturing, logistics |
| T Series | General-purpose humanoid | Bipedal | General-purpose tasks |
Both robots feature dexterous five-fingered end effectors with real-time tactile and force feedback, powered by TARS's proprietary AI World Engine (AWE 2.0) foundational model.[4]
In December 2025, TARS demonstrated a world first by showing a humanoid robot performing hand embroidery at a live event. The robot used both hands to thread a needle and stitch a logo, demonstrating the level of dexterity and precision required for tasks in flexible manufacturing that had previously been considered beyond robotic capabilities.[4][5]
TARS's technology stack includes: