JD.com Deepens Push Into Embodied Intelligence With Investment in Sensor Maker PaXiniTech

ToraOne, the second-generation multidimensional tactile humanoid robot developed by PaXiniTech

TMTPOST — JD.com Inc. has ramped up its bet on embodied intelligence with a fresh investment in PaXiniTech, a Shenzhen-based developer of advanced tactile sensors and humanoid robotics, marking its sixth deal in the sector in just three months.

The company said it raised 1 billion yuan ($138 million) in just four months, a record-setting pace in the emerging field of embodied intelligence hardware.

Founded by alumni of Waseda University’s Robotics Laboratory — the birthplace of the world’s first humanoid robot — PaXiniTech has carved out a leadership position in haptic perception technologies. Its product lineup spans from multidimensional haptic humanoid robots and dexterous robotic hands to core sensor modules and data-driven embodied intelligence models.

“Touch is the least understood of human senses in robotics, yet it holds the key to human-level dexterity,” said founder and CEO Xu Jincheng, who emphasized that tactile sensors, not vision, will ultimately unlock real-world interaction capabilities for machines. “Without multidimensional haptic feedback, robots will never be able to manipulate objects with human-like reliability.”

PaXiniTech’s technologies include the ITPU multidimensional haptic processing unit and the humanoid robot TORA-ONE, integrating touch, vision, and AI-driven perception. Beyond hardware, the company operates a self-built dataset generating 200 million haptic data entries annually, forming the foundation for its OmniVTLA embodied intelligence model. Clients span sectors from smart manufacturing and healthcare to consumer electronics.

The investment underscores JD.com’s aggressive strategy to build an end-to-end embodied intelligence ecosystem. Since May, the e-commerce giant has announced stakes in robotics firms including AgiBot, Spirit AI, LimX Dynamics, EngineAI, and RoboScience, systematically acquiring footholds in robot bodies, core components, motion control, and interactive AI models.

“PaXiniTech fills a crucial gap in JD.com’s embodied intelligence industrial chain, particularly in the dimension of haptic sensors and humanoid robotic dexterity,” said He Xiaodong, Senior Vice President of JD.com Group and Deputy Director of JD Exploration Research Institute.

Speaking on the rationale behind JD.com’s intensive investment spree, He outlined three pillars driving the company’s strategy: technological optimism, ecosystem expansion, and a broad vision of embodied intelligence as an integration of “brain, cerebellum, and I/O interfaces.”

“On one hand, we’re bullish on the direction. On the other, we want to help accelerate the development of the entire industry,” He said. “That’s why, beyond direct investments, we’ve launched platforms like ‘JoyInside’ and ‘Attached Intelligence’ to empower partners and scale the entire ecosystem collaboratively.”

In July, JD.com debuted JoyInside, an embodied intelligence platform offering free, limited-time access to end-to-end human-machine interaction solutions. The platform has quickly onboarded brands in sectors ranging from AI companion toys and educational robots to industrial automation, positioning itself as a foundational layer for service-oriented robotics applications.

Despite the enthusiasm, He cautioned that significant hurdles remain before embodied intelligence robots can become household staples. “Controlling a dexterous hand with multiple degrees of freedom is still vastly more complex than a human hand,” he noted. “Moreover, integrating large AI models with physical robots — like accurately locating objects in a room — is still a work in progress.”

He stressed that embodied intelligence should be seen as a long-term platform opportunity, likening its trajectory to autonomous driving, where rapid iteration cycles eventually bring technology closer to mass adoption.

“Robots are, first and foremost, companions. Secondly, they’ll evolve into walking knowledge engines,” He said. “Imagine a robot that can pick up your food delivery, converse with you, and navigate the environment intelligently — that’s the future we envision.”

He recalled an internal demonstration where he walked a robotic dog while chatting with it, which sparked interest among colleagues wanting similar devices for leisure walks. “In the future, just as cars are a household item today, humanoid robots may become a standard presence in every home,” He said.

JD.com is expected to further detail its embodied intelligence industrial strategy at the upcoming 2025 World Robot Conference (WRC), which opens on August 8. He Xiaodong is slated to deliver a keynote speech unveiling new partnerships under the JoyInside ecosystem, along with updates on collaborative projects.

Prior to this funding round, PaXiniTech had raised several hundred million yuan across six funding rounds, with backing from industry heavyweights such as BYD, SAIC, ENN Group, and SenseTime, as well as venture firms including Sinovation Ventures and CMB International.

As JD.com tightens its grip on the embodied intelligence value chain, the e-commerce giant is positioning itself not only as a retailer but as a pivotal player in the hardware-software convergence that will define next-generation human-machine interaction.