Kick off a new era of "rent-and-use" for robots - The Global Robot Rental Ecosystem Alliance Summit kicks off in Shanghai, and the Wanjiyi Rental Platform is grandly launched.
The Global Robot Rental Ecosystem Alliance Summit and the Launch Conference of the Wanjiyi Rental Platform were grandly held at Lingang Songjiang Science and Technology City, Songjiang District, Shanghai on the afternoon of January 15, 2026. The theme of this summit was "Collective Wisdom in the Ecosystem, All Robots Set Sail". It gathered top - tier enterprises, investment institutions, financial institutions, and industry pioneers from the global robot industry chain. They jointly witnessed the official launch of the country's first full - scenario robot rental ecosystem platform, "Wanjiyi Rental", marking that the robot industry has officially entered a new development stage from "heavy - asset procurement" to "light - asset rental and ecological collaboration".
Breaking the Traditional Barriers: From Fragmented Services to an Ecosystem Alliance, Defining New Industry Rules
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and robot technology, robots are increasingly widely used in scenarios such as service, cleaning, companionship, performance, and education. However, the high procurement cost, complex operation and maintenance technology, and rapid technological iteration have become real barriers for small and medium - sized enterprises and even individual users to use robots, and have also restricted the large - scale popularization of the robot industry. Against this background, the Global Robot Rental Ecosystem Alliance came into being. Initiated by the Wanjiyi Rental Platform, the alliance is jointly formed by robot hardware manufacturers, solution providers, financial institutions, insurance service providers, industrial parks, and end - users. Its aim is to integrate the upstream and downstream resources of the industry chain through a standardized, platform - based, and ecological model, lower the threshold for robot use, and cultivate a healthy and sustainable industry ecosystem.
At the beginning of the summit, the representative of the organizer pointed out: "When robot rental bids farewell to the old model of fragmented services and steps onto the new track of ecological layout, and when the idea of 'renting robots just like renting cars' becomes a reality, a revolution that defines industry rules has already arrived. We are gathered here to pool the global industry wisdom and promote the transformation of the industry from 'equipment sales' to'service - enabled'."
Platform Unveiling: Wanjiyi Rental Creates the "Didi + Taobao Model" for Robot Rental
At the launch conference, the highly anticipated "Wanjiyi Rental Platform" was officially unveiled. Cai Yi, the co - founder and CEO of the platform, elaborated on its business logic and core values in his speech. Wanjiyi Rental positions itself as "the country's first full - scenario robot rental ecosystem platform". It innovatively borrows from the sharing economy model and is committed to breaking through the transaction barriers between the supply side (robot manufacturers, agents, and holders of idle equipment) and the demand side (commercial performances, social services, elderly care institutions, families, schools, etc.).
The platform takes "AI intelligent matching + standardized operation and maintenance + ecosystem alliance enabling" as its core capabilities and has built an online - offline integrated robot rental service ecosystem. Users can place orders conveniently through the mini - program, select all categories of robots such as performance, cleaning, teaching, and companionship according to their needs, and enjoy the one - stop solution of "rental on demand, immediate use upon rental, and flexible and low - cost". For the supply side, the platform provides an efficient distribution channel and asset operation support, helping them to activate the idle equipment and accelerate market penetration. It is a platform that matches scattered robot service providers with corporate and individual customers and completes transactions through standardized online ordering and performance guarantees.
Cai Yi said: "Our vision is to make robot services as convenient and accessible as water, electricity, and gas. We plan to become the absolute leader in the domestic robot rental track within 2 years, start the global layout within 3 years, and ultimately promote rental to become the largest trading model for robot applications, achieving the strategic goal of 'Robot Services for All Families'."
Industry Giants Gather: The Industry Chain and Capital Providers Jointly Build the Foundation of the Ecosystem
This summit was a "star - studded feast" in the industry, highlighting the strong ecological connection ability of the Wanjiyi Rental Platform. On the robot industry side, leading domestic brands such as Unitree Robotics, Zhiyuan Robotics, Zhongqing Robotics, Accelerated Evolution Robotics, Luming Robotics, Gao Xian Robotics, Pangolin Robotics, Magic Atom, and Orion Star all made an appearance. They not only displayed the latest cutting - edge models but also conducted wonderful demonstrations of application scenarios on - site, vividly illustrating the potential of intelligent robots in multiple fields.
The lineup of capital and industry support parties was also impressive. Zhuo Xu, the chairman of Dematic Technology (688360) and a co - founder of Wanjiyi Rental, delivered a keynote speech, sharing Dematic Technology's strategic layout in the robot field and the progress of its cooperation with Songjiang District. He emphasized that the emergence of the Wanjiyi Rental Platform is a key infrastructure that conforms to industrial collaboration and reduces the total social cost, and will have far - reaching enabling value for the entire robot industry chain. Wanjiyi Rental positions itself as a global trading platform for the "right to use robots". Just as Uber Technologies has reshaped the travel industry and Airbnb has reshaped the accommodation industry, Wanjiyi Rental is reshaping how robots are used. It is estimated that the market value of SpaceX will reach 1.5 trillion US dollars after its IPO in 2026; in this case, a 100 - billion - dollar robot sharing platform is likely to appear on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange; and the gap in the global technology company market value pricing power among the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and even the New York Stock Exchange will widen further.
In addition, senior representatives from financial and insurance institutions such as Far East Horizon (03360.HK), the Shanghai Branch of the Bank of Communications, the Shanghai Branch of Ping An Property Insurance of China, and the Shanghai Branch of CPIC Property Insurance were all present. They respectively shared special financial solutions, technology - financial services, and risk guarantee plans for the robot rental scenario, providing solid financial and risk management support for the platform's stable operation and users' worry - free use.
The major shareholders of Wanjiyi Rental include Zhuo Xu, the founder of Dematic Technology Group (688360), Li Yucheng, the founder of Lao Wang Catering Group, Zhang Wenju, the founder of Darnor (833189), well - known investors such as Tong Weiliang, the founding partner of Indus Capital, Zheng Zhaolun, the founder of Hongrui Capital, and Fan Youxian, the partner of Eagle Fund. Zheng Shaojue, the market leader of Unitree Robotics (with a cumulative financing of 2 billion yuan), Judy Zhang (the managing director of Cambridge Associates, managing 600 billion US dollars globally), Li Zhangyu, the person - in - charge of the East China region of Accelerated Evolution Robotics (with a cumulative financing of over 500 million yuan), Zhang Junhua, the market director of Magic Atom (with a financing of 350 million yuan), and Song Yangwan, a senior executive of Luming Robotics (with a financing of hundreds of millions of yuan) also attended this event. Their support not only provides capital assistance but also represents the market's high recognition of the robot rental business model.
Strategic Signing: Ecological Collaboration Comes into Reality, Opening a New Chapter of Win - win Cooperation
The highlight of the launch conference was a series of strategic cooperation signing ceremonies. Lao Wang Catering Group, as a representative of important commercial scenario application parties, signed a contract with Wanjiyi Rental on - site, indicating that robot services will be accelerated in offline commercial scenarios such as catering. At the same time, the first batch of "city partners" also completed the signing, marking the official start of the platform's offline service network expansion.
Then, with the joint witness of the participating guests, relevant leaders from Songjiang District, Zhuo Xu, the founder of Dematic Technology, Zheng Zhaolun, the founder of Hongrui Capital, Cai Yi, the CEO of Wanjiyi Rental, and representatives from Far East Horizon, Tingyuan Intelligence, the Bank of Communications, and insurance institutions jointly took the stage to start the device symbolizing the official operation of the platform, announcing that the Wanjiyi Rental Platform and the Global Robot Rental Ecosystem Alliance have set sail simultaneously.
The Innovation Hub: Lingang Songjiang Science and Technology City Empowers the Industrial Innovation Cluster
As one of the hosts of this event, Lingang Songjiang Science and Technology City detailed its unique advantages as the core carrier of the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor in the Yangtze River Delta at the summit. The person - in - charge of the park introduced that the science and technology city is making every effort to build an innovation source and a result - transformation carrier area for the artificial intelligence and robot industry. By providing favorable industrial policies, perfect supporting services, and an open collaborative ecosystem, it is actively attracting and cultivating key enterprises in the industry chain. The fact that Wanjiyi Rental has set up its headquarters here is precisely because of the area's profound industrial foundation and forward - looking layout. The two parties will work together to help Songjiang and even Shanghai occupy an important position in the global robot industry ecosystem.
Looking Forward to the Future: Co - creating an Inclusive Era of Robot Services
The successful holding of the Global Robot Rental Ecosystem Alliance Summit and the Wanjiyi Rental Launch Conference is not only the birth of a platform but also the prelude to a new era for the industry. By building an open, collaborative, and standardized ecosystem, it effectively solves the problems of cost, technology, and channels in robot popularization, paving the way for the large - scale application of robots in a broader social context.
From the light - asset operation of enterprises to the intelligent upgrade of social life, the ecological model of robot rental is opening up a new trillion - level blue ocean. With the official launch of the Wanjiyi Rental Platform and the continuous growth of its ecological alliance, an inclusive era of "Robots as a Service" (RaaS) is accelerating towards us. This industry event in Songjiang, Shanghai will undoubtedly become an important milestone in the development history of the Chinese and even global robot industry.
