- Province proposes new state-backed vehicle for robotics and embodied AI investment
- Policy also sets 2030 output targets and pushes consolidation through M&A and coordinated capital tools
Anhui Province is planning to set up a robotics industry fund cluster worth about 100 billion yuan ($14 billion), as it steps up efforts to position itself as a national hub for robotics and embodied AI.
The proposal was outlined in a draft policy released by the provincial industry and information technology department.
This policy also calls for the creation of a new provincial-level robotics and embodied intelligence investment fund, with at least 2 billion yuan raised from public finances.
Long-term capital
The draft emphasizes reforms to improve fund management across fundraising, deployment and exit, urging investment “in early-stage, small-scale and hard technology projects with a long-term horizon.”
Observers said the language signals a push for state-backed and market funds to act more like patient capital, rather than prioritizing early exits.
Local governments at the city level are also encouraged to establish their own robotics-focused funds, creating a layered system intended to coordinate investment while avoiding overlap.
On the fiscal side, Anhui plans to allocate 500 million yuan annually from 2027 to 2030 to support industrial chain coordination, core technology development, innovation platforms, application rollouts and talent development.
Among top-tier in humanoid output by 2030
The draft sets ambitious targets: by 2030, Anhui aims to rank among China’s top tier in humanoid robot output and place industrial robot production among the national leaders.
By 2035, it envisions building a globally influential robotics cluster.
The province has already developed a “dual-core” industrial layout centered on Hefei and Wuhu — its two largest cities and industrial powerhouses — supported by multiple regional hubs.
It currently hosts more than 600 companies across the robotics supply chain, ranking fifth nationwide in industrial scale and second in industrial robot exports.
Anhui’s industrial robot sector is anchored by Efort (埃夫特), with total industry revenue exceeding 60 billion yuan in 2025.
Encouraging M&As
The Wuhu national robotics industrial cluster alone hosts more than 300 firms, with output surpassing 40 billion yuan in 2025.
The draft also encourages listed companies, state-owned enterprises and industrial investment funds to pursue mergers and acquisitions in robotics, with support for leading firms to integrate global supply chains.
It further calls for a coordinated financing system combining fiscal funding, venture funds and bank credit to support long-term development of the sector.
