Stocks related to Jay Chou + Unitree Technology will develop celebrity IP robots

The cooperation between Jay Chou-themed "concept stock" MegaStar Legend and Unitree Technology has taken another step forward.

On November 12th, MegaStar Legend issued an announcement stating that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xingchuangyi (Kunshan) Cultural and Entertainment Co., Ltd., and Beijing Lingyi Technology Co., Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Unitree Technology), have entered into a joint venture cooperation agreement. The two parties agreed to jointly establish Yuxing Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd. Xingchuangyi and Lingyi Technology will each hold a 50% equity stake in the joint venture.

The announcement shows that the two parties will jointly create globally influential interactive intelligent robot products for the performing arts and entertainment industry, providing users with entertainment and technology experiences, and planning, producing, and implementing commercial concert performances with robots.

After the establishment of the joint venture, MegaStar Legend will be responsible for robot IP planning, design, AI interaction, star IP licensing, media promotion, and channel development; as well as the planning, production, and development of commercial customers for performing arts content. Unitree Technology will be responsible for robot design, production, or supply; technology and scenario R & D based on performing arts content, R & D, operation, maintenance, control of robot equipment, and related training.

MegaStar Legend revealed that through this cooperation, the company will strategically enter the intelligent robot industry ecosystem. By combining IP content with intelligent robots, the company aims to promote the evolution of technology products towards trendy toys and consumer goods, achieve in - depth integration of IP content and intelligent hardware, and further promote the implementation and application of the "IP + robot + AI" integration model.

After the news was announced, MegaStar Legend's stock price rose by more than 18% in the afternoon. As of the close of trading on the afternoon of November 12th, it closed at HK$8.99 per share, with a total market capitalization of approximately HK$8.1 billion.

On July 30th this year, MegaStar Legend issued an announcement stating that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xingchuangyi (Kunshan), had entered into a cooperation agreement with Unitree Technology.

On September 13th, the quadruped robot "MegaStar Dog" jointly created by MegaStar Legend and Unitree Technology made its public debut at the float parade of the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Tourism Festival. This "MegaStar Dog" is a combination of star IP, trendy toys, and technology, with companionship functions and social attributes.

After that, MegaStar Legend successively announced in November that the robotic dogs developed in cooperation with Unitree Technology had received two orders totaling 120 million yuan. A-data Technology, as a distributor, will purchase 1,000 "MegaStar Dogs" with a total amount of more than 20 million yuan, and Yun Gongchang, as a distributor, will purchase 5,000 quadruped robots with a total price of more than 100 million yuan.

Unitree Technology is responsible for the technology, hardware R & D, production of these products, and the R & D of related applications for both orders. It is expected that the testing will be completed this year, and mass production will start early next year.

It is understood that in addition to selling physical products, MegaStar Legend also plans to explore the commercial value of intelligent robots in performing arts scenarios. In the future, the "MegaStar Dog" equipped with IP images is expected to be integrated into concerts and variety shows as a performance unit, reshaping the audience experience through technological interactive performances and further expanding the content boundaries and emotional connections of the IP.

In the past, quadruped robotic dogs were mainly used in fields such as power inspection, emergency rescue, education, and scientific research to help humans with dangerous and repetitive tasks.

As robotic dogs and companion robots gradually move from laboratories and enterprise - level markets to middle - and high - income individuals and technology enthusiasts, Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of iiMedia Research, believes that the market has a relatively strong demand for high - end products with entertainment and emotional value.

"Currently, robots and robotic dogs are mostly used as auxiliary tools. Their opportunity for a leap forward lies in how to transform them into entertainment companions or even emotional partners based on emotional connections, making AI more user - friendly. This is an important direction for this category."

This cooperation between MegaStar Legend and Unitree Technology to create artist IP robots is an attempt to explore the implementation direction of consumer - grade robots by leveraging the star effect.

Zhang Yi said that an important direction for robots is to be closer to the C - end market, and enterprises will have greater opportunities. "Currently, Unitree's robot products are mainly used by scientific research institutions, which limits Unitree's development because the relevant market scale is very limited. So, if a model can be established for the C - end market, there is no doubt that entertainment robotic dogs/robots should have the opportunity to expand in the C - end market."

However, price is a major factor affecting the popularization of robots/robotic dogs in the consumer - grade market. According to the prices disclosed in the announcement, each "MegaStar Dog" is priced at up to 20,000 yuan, which is obviously not a toy that ordinary consumers can easily afford.

Embodied intelligence manufacturers are also working to reduce the cost of robotic dogs. A reporter from Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily saw in Unitree's self - operated flagship store that the lowest - priced robotic dog costs 8,767 yuan after discounts, about the price of a high - end mobile phone. Yuejiang recently launched its first home intelligent robot, Rover X1, with a price of 7,499 yuan.

Zhang Yi summarized that in the development process of emerging AI products such as robots and AI toys, it is necessary to continuously eliminate false demand traps, build ecological barriers, and provide more protection in terms of security and privacy, which consumers generally care about. In addition, brand building and industry standards are also areas where efforts can be made in the future. In terms of capital layout, more attention should be paid to the iterative innovation ability of technology, especially the ability to solve high - frequency and rigid - demand scenarios. "Whether a moat can be built in terms of technological innovation, accumulation, and R & D, and a higher competitive barrier can be established in the ecological layout is very crucial."

This article is from the WeChat official account "Science and Technology Innovation Daily", written by Huang Xinyi, and is published by 36Kr with authorization.