PitchBook: US AI and robotics VC deals are up over 4x since 2023 to $160B+ so far in 2025, while comparable China deals are just $10B+, up from $9.24B in 2023
The big story — Sitting in his new Beijing office, AI2 Robotics Founder and CEO Eric Guo wistfully reflected on fundraising challenges …
Context & Ripple Effects
This funding gap follows a broader US venture-market concentration: AI startups accounted for roughly two-thirds of US VC funding in H1 2025, while robotics fundraising was already being tracked as a distinct race in 2024.
The comparison matters because it puts Beijing-based AI2 Robotics' reported fundraising difficulty alongside a much larger US pool for AI and robotics. Later PitchBook coverage also points to accelerating investment in robotics and physical AI globally.
First-order effects
- US AI and robotics startups have access to a far deeper 2025 venture-financing pool than comparable Chinese companies, strengthening their ability to fund development and expansion.
- For China-based founders such as AI2 Robotics, the reported disparity makes fundraising conditions more challenging relative to US peers.
Second-order effects
- The gap can intensify competition among US investors for AI and robotics exposure, extending the capital concentration already visible in US AI's share of venture funding.
- Chinese AI and robotics companies may face greater pressure to differentiate their funding strategies as private capital availability diverges from the US market.
Third-order effects
- If sustained, uneven venture access could shape where AI-and-robotics companies are formed and scaled, concentrating more commercial upside in the better-funded ecosystem.
- The data also reinforces a shift from broad AI enthusiasm toward capital-intensive categories—including physical AI—where financing depth can become a competitive advantage.
The trend: AI investment is concentrating in capital-intensive US-led AI and physical-robotics ecosystems, widening the importance of financing access in the technology race.