Since its launch this June, KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (Ticker KOID) has garnered attention as the first U.S. ETF to focus on the exciting new opportunities that humanoid robotics and embodied intelligence have to offer.¹ KOID and its robot mascot have made global appearances on FOX Business, Cheddar, and articles in the New York Post, Barron's, and the Times of India. “KOID-bot” also drew public interest from New Yorkers as it walked around Midtown Manhattan, trying on shoes and a Rolex. Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment was KOID ringing the Nasdaq opening bell, a symbolic moment for innovation and evolution in this emerging field.

Humanoid robotics and embodied intelligence, artificial intelligence (AI) systems integrated into physical machines that can sense, learn, and interact with the real world, take the AI boom to the next level. From critical material “bones” to advanced software “brains”, KOID seeks to provide exposure to this market by investing in companies involved in manufacturing humanoid robots and the various components in the humanoid body. KOID's investment strategy, combined with the aforementioned positive media attention, has contributed to KOID’s recent success. While many investors are familiar with KOID’s well-known holdings such as Nvidia and Tesla, this article will highlight four other companies that are playing a key role in advancing the humanoid robotics sector.

1. MP Materials - The Bones | 3.53% weight in KOID as of 8/29/2025*

MP Materials focuses on the raw components that may serve as the foundation for the next generation of advanced humanoid robots. They specialize in rare earth elements (REEs) production and are the only American company to do so. With the sharp uptick of interest in domestic production, the business has achieved impressive feats, including 84% year-over-year revenue growth², a threefold increase in sales³, a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense⁴, and a new half-billion-dollar deal with Apple⁵.

All these factors have contributed to a 334% jump in MP Materials' stock price since the beginning of the year⁶. The company's ability to supply the core components of humanoid robots has made it a valuable supply chain asset in this expanding field. The REEs produced by MP Materials and other such companies are a core component in humanoid “muscles,” a specialty of another KOID holding—Rainbow Robotics.

2. Rainbow Robotics - The Muscles and Joints | 1.69% weight in KOID as of 8/29/2025*

Founded in 2011, Rainbow Robotics is one of South Korea's key embodied intelligence companies. Their humanoid platform RB-Y1 offers advanced mobility features and open software development kits, as well as control interfaces via touchscreen, joystick, and virtual reality (VR). Substantial financial backing from Samsung⁷, combined with an experienced robotics team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has led its stock to gain 29% year-to-date (YTD)⁸. Their innovative models also received significant press and attention at the World Robotics Conference (WRC), which was held in Beijing from August 8-12. Rainbow Robotics' focus on the muscles and joints of humanoid systems positions the company as a potential contributor to the future of humanoid robotics.

3. Robosense Technology - The Eyes | 2.29% weight in KOID as of 8/29/2025*

Robosense specializes in visual solutions for the "eyes" of humanoid robots. The Shenzhen-based company developed the "Active Camera" series, which helps embodied intelligence in understanding its surroundings. Using RGB (full-color) vision and LiDAR (the use of lasers to measure distance and create 3D maps) sensors, they hope to tackle the "perception problem".

At the Beijing World Robotics Conference, Robosense unveiled its AC2 model, which they dubbed the "real eye of robots". This advanced camera utilizes self-developed chips built for better AI integration and improved dynamic performance to give robots a more detailed and accurate view of their environment. Additionally, the business is recognized as a foundational player in the humanoid robot space, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs featuring them on their core industry map.

Robosense has experienced impressive growth in recent years, becoming the global leader in LiDAR by market share according to a report from Yole Research Group. This year, its stock is up 37% and the company also celebrated its one millionth sensor sale⁹, marking a significant milestone of the commercialization of embodied intelligence. With 64 patents in China, Robosense has been able to efficiently and effectively build effective visual systems for humanoid robots. While a robot’s “eyes” are crucial to its functioning, these parts are powerless without a “brain”.

4. UBTech Robotics - The Brain | 2.10% weight in KOID as of 8/29/2025*

At the WRC earlier this month, UBTech showcased its newest Walker series humanoid robots - the first robots ever produced capable of autonomously replacing its own batteries.¹⁰ The company also demonstrated the systems' applications in manufacturing, education, and household situations, including new advanced inter-robot collaborative abilities using its BrainNet architecture¹¹, which connects multiple systems to one "super brain" node.

The company has been actively involved in the development of humanoid robots since 2012, with their models assisting medical workers in Shenzhen during COVID, as well as providing over 1300 robots for Guinness World Records' largest simultaneous robot dance. UBTech's ability to harness the "cognitive" power of embodied intelligence across a variety of fields has contributed to a 81% stock return year-to-date (YTD)¹² and a 23% increase in profit from 2023 to 2024¹³. Furthermore, UBTech's partnership with Huawei, which was announced this May, could potentially accelerate the company's expansion and bring it closer to mass commercial production.

Upcoming Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)

Unitree Robotics, a prominent Chinese developer of humanoid and quadruped robots, is actively preparing for a public listing before year-end. The company announced plans to submit its IPO filing documents between October and December 2025.¹⁴ Unitree’s pre-IPO momentum is underscored by private market backing from investors such as China Mobile, Alibaba, Ant Group, and Tencent, and the firm’s valuation now exceeds RMB 10 billion.¹⁴ Last year, 30% of Unitree’s revenue came from humanoid robots, highlighting notable appetite in this segment as the company seeks to leverage growing global demand for robotics solutions.¹⁴

Conclusion

While tech giants like Nvidia and Tesla are often credited as a primary leader in this high-potential field, lesser-known companies like Rainbow Robotics, UBTech, Robosense, and MP Materials are also emerging as key players in developing and building the "body parts" that could power the robotics revolution.

From mobility systems to raw materials, KOID seeks to identify a number of such players at the cutting edge of embodied intelligence. As the world continues to recognize the potential power of such systems, we believe these businesses can play a meaningful role in the technology's continued evolution and adoption. With the opportunities, risks are involved and investors should be aware that this is a rapidly developing and highly specialized sector.

---

High short-term performance from a limited number of the fund’s holdings is unusual, and investors should not expect such performance to be continued over the long term. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

For KOID standard performance, top 10 holdings, risks, and other fund information, please click here.

*All % weight data from Bloomberg as of 8/29/2025.

Citations:

1. Data from Bloomberg as of 7/8/2025.
2. Data from MP Materials as of 8/7/2025.
3. Data from MP Materials as of 11/7/2025.
4. Data from US Department of Defense as of 8/10/2025.
5. Data from Apple as of 7/15/2025.
6. Data from Bloomberg as of 8/28/2025.
7. Data from Samsung as of 12/31/2024.
8. Data from Bloomberg as of 8/31/2025.
9. Data from Robosense as of 4/1/2025.
10. Data from "This Humanoid Robot Can Swap Its Own Battery And Work Around The Clock," Forbes, 7/21/2025.
11. Data from PR Newswire and UBTech as of 3/3/2025.
12. Data from Bloomberg as of 8/28/2025.
13. Data from UBTech as of 12/31/2024.
14. Data from "Robotics maker Unitree to file IPO documents in fourth quarter for likely mainland listing," South China Morning Post, 9/2/2025.