Hesai Group shipped 142,371 Robotics lidar units in Q2 2026, up 193.4% from 48,531 units a year earlier, as demand from humanoid robots and other physical-AI applications grew substantially faster than the company’s broader lidar business.
Total lidar shipments reached 628,275 units, up 78.4% from 352,095, while ADAS lidar shipments increased 60.1% to 485,904 units. Robotics represented about 23% of quarterly lidar shipments, up from roughly 14% a year earlier, showing how quickly the category is becoming a larger contributor to Hesai’s unit mix.
Revenue grew substantially more slowly than unit volume. Q2 net revenue increased 21.9% to RMB860.8 million, or $126.9 million, from RMB706.4 million. Hesai said increased ADAS and Robotics lidar deliveries were partly offset by lower average selling prices.
Gross margin declined to 40.1% from 42.5%, primarily because products carrying relatively lower margins represented a larger portion of revenue. Even with that pressure, Hesai remained profitable, reporting RMB70.6 million of net income, up 60%, marking its fifth consecutive quarter of GAAP profitability.
Hesai’s Robotics growth is extending beyond lidar. Its Strategic Growth Initiatives generated revenue for the first time during Q2, led by robotic actuation modules. Stronger-than-expected commercialization prompted management to raise 2026 SGI revenue guidance from RMB100 million to RMB200 million-RMB300 million.
Management expects SGI revenue to reach approximately $100 million in 2027 and achieve breakeven during the same year, which would make the new physical-AI businesses materially larger than their current contribution.
Hesai is already working with more than 50 embodied-AI companies worldwide on its JT128 lidar, including Unitree, Robbyant, Galbot, Galaxea and Dexmal. The company said it ranked first in China’s lidar market for humanoid and quadruped robots, citing GGII data.
Its robotic actuation module business is also moving rapidly into production. Hesai’s dedicated production line had delivered more than 10,000 units by the end of Q2, with shipments expected to reach six-digit levels in 2027. The modules are being supplied to Sharpa and are designed for applications including dexterous hands and full-body joints.
Hesai said those modules deliver approximately three times the torque density and power density of leading products currently available while using a package that is 37% smaller and providing transmission efficiency above 95%.
Another SGI product, Kosmo, delivered its initial prototypes in July and has already secured orders from humanoid robotics companies including Galbot. Hesai said it is engaged with more than 200 prospective partners, with initial Kosmo revenue expected during Q3 2026.
Hesai ended June with RMB1.51 billion of cash and equivalents and RMB5.14 billion of short-term investments, giving the company substantial financial resources as it expands beyond automotive lidar into robotics perception, spatial intelligence and actuation.
KEY QUOTES:
“Hesai’s performance in the 2026 second quarter provides strong validation of our next chapter of growth. Our core lidar business continued to deliver profitable scale and strong cash generation, while SGI began translating technological leadership into commercial momentum. Net revenues reached RMB861 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, with ADAS and Robotics lidar shipments growing 60% and 193% compared to the same period last year, respectively. Net income reached RMB71 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, up 60% year-over-year despite continued investments in building SGI. The second quarter of 2026 marked our fifth consecutive quarter of GAAP profitability.”
“This quarter also marked SGI’s first revenue contribution, led by strong early commercial traction for our industry-leading robotic actuation modules. Driven by stronger-than-expected commercialization momentum and market demand across SGI, including Kosmo on track to begin contributing revenues in the third quarter of 2026, we are raising our full-year 2026 SGI revenue guidance from RMB100 million to a range of RMB200-300 million. We are particularly encouraged by SGI’s growth trajectory and expect the business to reach approximately US$100 million in revenues in 2027 and achieve breakeven in the same year.”
Andrew Fan, Chief Financial Officer of Hesai
