The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies Sharpa: 3 models, $670.0M raised. 4 sources back the record.
CategoryHumanoids
Overview
Sharpa is a Singapore-headquartered robotics company founded in late 2024 by the three co-founders of Hesai Technology — Li Yifan (CEO), Xiang Shaoqing (CTO), and Sun Kai (Chief Scientist). The company builds dexterous manipulation systems for embodied AI, including the Sharpa Wave dexterous robotic hand (22 DoF, in mass production since October 2025) and the Sharpa North full-body humanoid robot (67 DoF, debuted at CES 2026).
Its proprietary CraftNet VTLA model fuses vision, touch, and language to power autonomous manipulation. In partnership with NVIDIA, Sharpa's Wave hands are integrated into the Isaac GR00T reference humanoid built on Unitree Robotics's H2 Plus platform. The company has deployed its robot restaurant system at Dairy Queen locations in Shanghai, China.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
R&D center
AI platform
Fingr study (research-stated, Sep 2026)
Fingr results (research-stated, Sep 2026)
FOMO-Dex study (research-stated, Oct 2026)
Data & sources
Research
2
Web sources
2
4 sources backing this record.View all →
Models (3)
View all models →Current platform
Sharpa North
67-DoF full-body humanoid robot built to run shifts autonomously in service and industrial environments. Powered by Sharpa Wave dexterous hands and the CraftNet VTLA AI model. Debuted at CES 2026 with live autonomous manipulation demos including ping-pong rallies, card dealing, and paper windmill assembly. Deployed at Dairy Queen stores in Shanghai for food preparation.
Current platform
Sharpa Wave
Human-scale, five-finger dexterous robotic hand with 22 active DoF and high-resolution tactile sensing (>1000 tactile pixels per fingertip, 0.02 N sensitivity). In mass production since October 2025. Compatible with ROS, Isaac Sim, and MuJoCo. Integrated into NVIDIA's Isaac GR00T reference humanoid robot.
Current platform
Sharpa Robot Restaurant System
Fully automated robot restaurant and food-service robotic system using Sharpa North humanoid robots to perform food preparation tasks at Dairy Queen locations in China. The system requires zero retrofitting of existing store infrastructure — robots use existing equipment, ingredients, and processes. Each order involves 50-60 consecutive autonomous manipulation steps including blending Blizzards, scooping toppings, and flipping cups upside-down.
Partnerships
Every company Sharpa has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most-frequent partners
- 1Dairy Queen1× joint
- 2Hesai Technology1× joint1 total
Most recent
- with Hesai Technologyoperating
- Sharpa × Dairy Queen2026-08-01with Dairy Queenoperating
Relationships
Current leadership (3)
- Li Yifan CEO & Co-foundersecondary-verified
- Xiang Shaoqing CTO & Co-foundersecondary-verified
- Sun Kai Chief Scientist & Co-foundersecondary-verified
Founders (3)
- Li Yifancofounder
- Xiang Shaoqingcofounder
- Sun Kaicofounder
Safety record
No incidents on record for Sharpa.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Sharpa in third-party press
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics12 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- 1X Technologies5 models
- AgiBot5 models
Mentioned on (10)
Registry pages whose text names Sharpa.
Companies (1)
AI systems (2)
Deployments (4)
Unitree H2 Plus at Seattle, Unitree H2 Plus at Zürich, Switzerland, Unitree H2 Plus at San Diego, CA, Unitree H2 Plus at Stanford
People (3)
Financial state
- Total funding
- $670.0M
- Employees
- 100
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships
2 total · 2 operating
Every company Sharpa has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most recent
- with Hesai Technologyoperating
- Sharpa × Dairy Queen2026-08-01with Dairy Queenoperating
Most-frequent partners
- 1Dairy Queen1× joint
- 2Hesai Technology1× joint1 total
All 2 partnerships
open in the atlas →- technology2026-10-14operating
- Sharpa × Dairy QueenwithDairy Queendeployment2026-08-01operating
Funding rounds (1)
- Strategic Financing2026-09-03
$670M(reported)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdSep 4, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedAug 1, 2026
Sharpa North at Shanghai, China
Sources (4)
Common questions
What is Sharpa?
What does Sharpa make?
Is Sharpa publicly traded?
Who competes with Sharpa?
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How can I invest in Sharpa?
Where is Sharpa headquartered?
How much funding has Sharpa raised?
Who owns Sharpa?
Where does Sharpa operate robots?
Is Sharpa a top robotics company?
When was Sharpa founded?
Is Sharpa safe?
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-10-18
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-10-18
Sources by quality tier
- 2
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
- 2
- preprint
- Preprint
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Sharpa.Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics12 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- 1X Technologies5 models
- AgiBot5 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Sharpa from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Welcome, Wave W01 SE!
Wave W01 SE is Sharpa Robotics’ cost optimized special edition dexterous robotic hand for laboratories, developers, and robot makers seeking a more accessible human scale…
Sharpa Unveils D01 Tactile Robot, W02 Dexterous Hand and AE01 Haptic Glove at IROS 2026
Sharpa debuted D01, a robot with whole-body electronic skin; W02, a sub-750 g hand with 21 active DoF and full-hand touch; and AE01, a 22-DoF haptic data glove, at IROS 2026.
IROS 2026: tactile sensing, dexterous hands and data move to the centre of physical AI
Dexterous hands, tactile sensors and new ways to collect robot training data are emerging as recurring themes at IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh. Sharpa, LumiBot and Daimon Robotics are…
Sharpa获超45亿融资，联合DQ落地全球首个零改造、全自主、全年机器人餐厅
Sharpa raised over RMB 4.5 billion (~$670M) and partnered with Dairy Queen to deploy the world's first zero-retrofit, fully autonomous, year-round robot restaurant system in China.
Sharpa Brings Dexterous, Tactile Manipulation to the NVIDIA Isaac GR00T Reference Humanoid Robot
NVIDIA announced the Isaac GR00T reference humanoid robot equipped with dual Sharpa Wave dexterous hands, built on Unitree's H2 Plus platform with 75 total DoF, powered by NVIDIA…
Sharpa: AI robotics platform for dexterous manipulation
Sharpa's official website describes its mission to "manufacture time" by making robots useful, showcasing the Wave dexterous hand (22 DoF), North humanoid robot (67 DoF), and…
起底Sharpa：一家还没赚钱的公司为何估值快赶上禾赛？
Zhihu analysis examining how Sharpa, a pre-revenue robotics startup, achieved a valuation approaching that of its founders' previous company Hesai Technology, through clear…
Sharpa Aims to Manufacture Time via Its CraftNet VTLA Model, and Stuns CES 2026 with Live Autonomous Demos for Fine Manipulation
Sharpa debuted its North humanoid robot at CES 2026, performing fully autonomous manipulation demos for four consecutive days including ping-pong rallies, card dealing, and…
Sharpa — robotics company founded by three Hesai co-founders
Baidu Baike entry for Sharpa, detailing its founding by Hesai Technology co-founders Xiang Shaoqing, Li Yifan, and Sun Kai in late 2024, its Singapore HQ, Shanghai R&D center, and…
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/sharpa.md
- RSS feed: /companies/sharpa/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/cb55e1ee-de7c-4ef8-a6ec-c84511517a76
- Revision history: /companies/sharpa/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics12 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Dobot6 models
- Samsung Electronics6 models
- 1X Technologies5 models
- AgiBot5 models
Video
Reality vs attention
Sharpa draws attention at the 70th percentile but verifies reality at the 39th percentile among humanoids. Hype Gap +30.8, 23rd widest among humanoids.
6-month trend
Analysis
Clean safety record across 1 verified deployment. Well-capitalized with $670M raised and recent funding activity. Deployment footprint remains limited relative to category peers.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Oct 19, 2026