The robot leasing market is set to enter an explosive growth period, with Qingtian Leasing securing financing and engaging with Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance

“Too many orders, not enough fulfillment personnel.” On February 13, Qiantian Rental CEO Li Yiyan stated in an interview with China Fund News and other media outlets that the company has recently conducted a stress test on robot leasing, highlighting the necessity of advancing the city partner program.

The robot leasing industry faced a stress test during the Year of the Horse Spring Festival. As of February 12, Qiantian Rental had received over 1,000 orders covering the Spring Festival holiday period. Qiantian Rental expects that after the holiday, the platform will have accumulated over 5,000 orders.

Previously, Qiantian Rental and some third-party organizations projected that the market size for robot leasing would grow from 1 billion yuan in 2025 to 10 billion yuan in 2026. As a robot leasing platform initiated by Zhiyuan Robotics, Qiantian Rental is in talks with investment teams from Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and other companies.

Source: Qiantian Rental

Robot Leasing Market “Both Volume and Price Rising”

Industry Still Faces Multiple Issues

Ahead of the Year of the Horse Spring Festival, orders for robot leasing showed a continuous month-over-month growth trend. Data from Qiantian Rental indicates that in the two weeks and one week before the festival, robot leasing orders increased by 30% and 47%, respectively.

Qiantian Rental forecasts that during the one-week Spring Festival holiday, robot leasing orders will grow by over 60% month-over-month, and after the holiday, the growth will remain around 50%.

The structure of the robot leasing market is also changing. Data shows that demand from users for high-complexity, high-exposure scenarios continues to grow, driving the overall average transaction price up by approximately 15% month-over-month.

In response to the rapid increase in demand for robot leasing, Qiantian Rental has undergone a systemic stress test.

Chief Strategy Officer Wang Mingfeng said that some areas have demand but lack supply, while others have supply but efficiency is lacking. By 2026, Qiantian Rental plans to focus on solving these issues.

At the same time, the industry faces problems such as non-transparent pricing, lack of service standards, and uncontrollable satisfaction levels.

In response, Qiantian Rental launched a nationwide city partner strategy on February 13, officially beginning recruitment for city partners across the country.

Source: Qiantian Rental

It is reported that Qiantian Rental will reduce barriers to entry for robot leasing through a combination of “machine subsidies, technical support, operational training, and traffic protection.”

“The platform is responsible for products, technology, traffic, and branding, while partners focus on localized delivery and service,” said Li Liheng, Co-President of Qiantian Rental and head of the city partner strategy. He emphasized that city partners are not traditional agents but service nodes for the platform in local areas.

In Li Liheng’s view, the key to large-scale application of robots is not just the success of individual projects but building a service network capable of sustained operation nationwide.

Responding to Predictions of a 10 Billion Yuan Market by 2026

Qiantian Rental’s Funding Pace May Be “One Round Per Month”

Both Qiantian Rental and some third-party organizations predict that by 2026, the market size for robot leasing will reach 10 billion yuan.

Li Yiyan said that this forecast is mainly based on 2025 being the first year of mass production for robots, with capacity expected to be released on a large scale in 2026; combined with the city partner program and business school training, this will lead to an exponential increase in industry personnel.

Meanwhile, market demand for robot leasing is breaking out of its niche. Recent user profiles show that demand has expanded from enterprises and exhibition centers to individuals.

Li Liheng said, “Some rent robots for birthday parties and small events. Orders like these are increasing.”

As the attractiveness of the robot leasing market rises, more market players are entering, and outside attention is focusing on Qiantian Rental’s competitive advantages.

“People coming in means the track is right,” Li Yiyan said. He noted that Qiantian Rental leads in first-mover advantage, market recognition, partner network, and capital rhythm.

Qiantian Rental’s controlling shareholder is Zhiyuan Robotics, but it aims to become an open platform for the entire robot leasing industry. Li Yiyan stated, “We have already reached cooperation with several robot manufacturers.”

At the same time, capital is rapidly entering the robot leasing market. Li Yiyan said that after the Spring Festival, Qiantian Rental will proceed with financing rounds at a pace of “one round per month,” aiming to complete a phased closure by mid-2026.

“In the capital side, we are a cautious player,” Li Yiyan said. He added that Qiantian Rental is already in contact with investment teams from Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance.

(Source: China Fund News)