Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics Photo：Unitree website
The Communist Youth League Committee of Zhejiang Province and the Zhejiang Youth Federation have announced the 20 candidates for the 13th Zhejiang Youth May Fourth Medal, including Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics, and Olympic champion Pan Zhanle, according to zjol.com on Wednesday, the official news outlet of the Zhejiang provincial government.
Wang was also recommended by Zhejiang as one of the candidates for the national 2025 China Youth May Fourth Medal, according to a February release from The Communist Youth League Committee of Zhejiang Province.
The China Youth May Fourth Medal is awarded by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the All-China Youth Federation, and is recognized as the highest national honor for young people aged between 14 and 40 years old. The award began in 1997 and is usually presented around China's Youth Day, May 4, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Unitree Robotics CEO Wang, a young entrepreneur born in 1990, who also attended a symposium on private enterprises on the morning of February 17 in Beijing, has drawn significant online attention. His team developed the handkerchief-spinning robot that became a viral sensation during the Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Snake, according to Capitalnews, a WeChat account affiliated to Beijing Daily.
Wang's journey into robotics began in 2013 while he was still an undergraduate, building his first quadruped robot, XDog. Two years later, he entered an entrepreneurship competition, securing second place and winning an 80,000-yuan ($11,064) prize. In 2016, a viral video showcasing XDog's testing process attracted investors, leading Wang to establish his own company, according to Capitalnews.
He independently developed a new robotic system and, by the following year, launched his first commercial quadruped robot. Since then, his robotic dog series has continued to evolve, gaining increasing recognition in the industry, according to Capitalnews.
