Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitcoin Japan Corporation (TSE: 8105) has signed an exclusive agreement to distribute in Japan six humanoid and service robot models from UBTECH, one of the world’s leading humanoid robot makers, including the Walker S2 industrial humanoid. The agreement was signed on 16 October 2026 with UBTECH ROBOTICS LIMITED, part of the UBTECH Group, whose parent, UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP. LTD., is listed in Hong Kong (HKEX: 9880). Under the agreement, UBTECH has undertaken to procure that its parent and the parent’s group appoint no other distributor for these products in Japan and supply them into Japan only through Bitcoin Japan.
The agreement advances the Physical AI business that Bitcoin Japan commenced on October 1, as announced on September 17. It provides a contractual framework for designated robot products, associated deployment services and specified data rights. Bitcoin Japan intends to develop an operating business initially focused on manufacturing and logistics applications in Japan. Planned activities remain subject to product readiness, applicable certification, customer demand and funding.
| 6 DESIGNATED PRODUCT LINES Plus upgrades and successors | DAY ONE JAPAN ENQUIRIES COME TO BITCOIN JAPAN From signing | 36 MONTHS EXCLUSIVE PERIOD Counted from first certification | 3 PLANNED REVENUE PILLARS Sales • RaaS • Data |
“AI is moving beyond screens and into the physical world. The next industrial revolution will be driven by intelligent machines performing real work in factories, warehouses and businesses. Our agreement with UBTECH is a step toward developing a Physical AI operating business in Japan. We plan to combine robot distribution with deployment services, recurring-revenue opportunities and real-world AI data. We are not simply investing in the future of AI. We intend to help put that future to work.” - PHILLIP LORD, Chief Executive Officer, Bitcoin Japan Corporation
Exclusive rights and contractual scope
The designated products are Walker S2, Walker Tienkung, Tienkung Dex, Sky Walker, Walker C1 and Cruzr S2, together with upgrades and successor products as defined by the agreement. During the exclusive period, the agreement provides that UBTECH Group supplies of designated products to Japan customers are to be routed through Bitcoin Japan, including additional supplies to existing customers and demand under global or regional arrangements, subject to the agreement’s terms.
The agreement is effective on execution. From signing and payment of the deposit, UBTECH will appoint no other distributor for the designated products in Japan, will refer enquiries from customers in Japan to Bitcoin Japan, and will supply customers in Japan only through Bitcoin Japan, subject to certain cases concerning existing customers. Before certification, Bitcoin Japan will supply the products in Japan for research, experimental, data-collection, demonstration and other uses permitted under Japanese law. The 36-month exclusive period is counted from the date on which the first model, Walker C1, satisfies the specified Japanese conformity and certification conditions. Continued exclusivity is subject to agreed performance requirements and other contractual conditions.
Enquiries
Bitcoin Japan welcomes enquiries now from universities, research institutions, public bodies and companies in Japan interested in the Walker S2 and the other designated UBTECH models. Before Japanese certification is completed, units can be supplied for research, experimental, data-collection and demonstration use permitted under Japanese law; wider commercial deployment will follow certification.
UBTECH AT A GLANCE
UBTECH commercial context — not Bitcoin Japan revenue
| RMB 590.3M ≈ JPY 14.1B H1 2026 REVENUE UBTECH Group humanoid category [1] | 921 UNITS H1 2026 SALES Same UBTECH Group category [1] | +1,445% GROWTH IN THAT REVENUE Year on year [1] |
| RMB 1.27B ≈ JPY 30.4B H1 2026 GROUP REVENUE Up 104% [1] | 16,123 HUMANOID ROBOTS SHIPPED All sizes, H1 2026 [20] | 10,000+ ANNUAL CAPACITY Liuzhou smart factory [10] |
In its interim report dated September 24, 2026, UBTECH reported RMB 590.3 million (approximately JPY 14.1 billion, or US$88 million) in revenue and 921 units sold for full-size embodied intelligent humanoid robot products and services for the first half of 2026. That revenue rose 1,445% year on year and made up 46.5% of group revenue; units sold rose 1,947%. Group revenue more than doubled to RMB 1,269.1 million (approximately JPY 30.4 billion; +104.2%), gross margin widened by 9.7 points to 44.7%, and UBTECH shipped 16,123 humanoid robots of all sizes [20]. It spent RMB 303.1 million (approximately JPY 7.3 billion) on R&D in the half (+38.9%) and employs 1,103 engineers [20]. For the full year 2025, full-size humanoid revenue grew more than 22-fold to RMB 821 million (approximately JPY 18.4 billion), becoming UBTECH’s largest revenue stream [18]. These figures describe UBTECH Group activities; they are not Bitcoin Japan financial results or contracted volumes. [1]
Yen amounts are approximate: first-half 2026 figures at RMB 1 = JPY 23.95 (30 June 2026) and 2025 figures at RMB 1 = JPY 22.42 (31 December 2025), the rates used in the related TDnet disclosure.
UBTECH builds humanoid robots at industrial scale. Its first Walker S2 came off the line in June 2025 and its 1,000th by the end of that year [12]. In September 2026 it opened a 14,000 m² smart factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi, planned with Siemens Digital Industries Software, with capacity for more than 10,000 humanoid robots a year - one every ten minutes - centred on the Walker S and Cruzr series [10]. The Walker S2 swaps its own battery autonomously, so it can work around the clock [13].
Publicly reported activities involving UBTECH Group include Walker S2 evaluation with Hitachi entities in China [2], cooperation between Honda Trading (China) and UBTECH Group’s UQI Robotics on planned demonstrations [3], a reported arrangement with Texas Instruments [4], and software cooperation with Siemens Digital Industries Software [5]. In October 2026, UBTECH and FAW-Volkswagen signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop and test humanoid robots for factory logistics and smart manufacturing, building on Walker S trials at FAW-Volkswagen’s Qingdao plant since 2024 [6]. Other carmakers reported as UBTECH customers include BYD, Geely Auto and Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor [12]. Outside China, UBTECH signed a memorandum of understanding with Singtel in August 2026 to co-develop robotic solutions [14], and its robots are being deployed at a logistics site of German retailer ROSSMANN through a European distribution partner [15]. These third-party references concern UBTECH Group; they are not Bitcoin Japan customer contracts, commitments or revenue.
Visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka may already have met UBTECH’s robots: its Walker C humanoid greeted visitors and guided tours at the China Pavilion [16]. UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP. LTD. listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2023 (stock code 9880) and is widely described as the first listed company dedicated to humanoid robots [17].
THE OPERATING MODEL
Three planned revenue pillars
The commercial strategy is to earn revenue from technology deployment and ongoing services—not solely from an initial robot sale.
01 ROBOT SALES - Distribution, paid trials & integration
02 RAAS & SERVICES - Leasing, operations & support
03 PHYSICAL AI DATA - Collection & licensing, subject to rights
Robot sales and paid proofs of concept
Bitcoin Japan plans to offer paid customer trials to assess task performance, reliability, integration requirements and customer economics. Subject to successful evaluation, customers may purchase robots with implementation, localization, application development and systems-integration support.
Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS)
The agreement permits Bitcoin Japan to retain ownership of robots and provide them under leases or service arrangements. The planned RaaS model would generate recurring or usage-based fees for robot access and agreed services. Maintenance, repairs, spare parts, operator training and technical support could generate additional revenue. Fleet investment will depend on demand, operating costs, cash recovery and available funding.
Physical AI Data-as-a-Service (DaaS)
Bitcoin Japan plans to explore collection, processing, annotation, quality assurance and licensing of datasets generated from permitted real-world robot operations. The commercial value of any dataset will depend on customer and third-party rights, data quality, buyer demand and applicable laws. No data licensing revenue or customer has been confirmed by this announcement.
Data governance and permitted international activity
As between the contracting parties, the agreement permits Bitcoin Japan to use and deal with data collected by robots it deploys in Japan, subject to applicable data protection requirements and other rights. Under the agreement, personal data collected by those robots must be processed and stored in Japan. Actual commercialization will also require relevant customer permissions and compliance controls.
The agreement also allows Bitcoin Japan to explore defined overseas data-collection activities, including deployments for affiliates’ own research and internal uses and deployments of Bitcoin Japan-owned robots at overseas premises of Japan-domiciled customers. These arrangements remain subject to the contractual limitations and local legal requirements.
EXECUTION AND DISCLOSURE
Commercialization path and next milestones
01 FROM SIGNING - Enquiries to Bitcoin Japan; research & demonstration supply
02 MODEL CHOICE - Select initial products
03 CERTIFICATION - Conformity & approvals, Walker C1 first
04 PAID TRIALS - Customer evaluation
05 DEPLOYMENT - Sales/ RaaS at readiness
The parties intend to select initial models, arrange certification units, complete applicable Japanese conformity and certification procedures, beginning with Walker C1, and prepare localization, site integration and after-sales support. Commercial deployments are subject to relevant approvals, practical site readiness and commercial agreements. Bitcoin Japan will report further milestones - certification, deliveries, paid customer trials and commercial operations - as they are reached, in line with its disclosure obligations.
Japan policy context
Japan’s METI-led AI initiatives, including GENIAC, reflect public support for model development and real-world applications. In June 2026, METI’s work on multimodal foundation models positioned data from industrial sites as information for developing Physical AI, and in July 2026 METI and NEDO launched FRONTia, a national project to build a domestic foundation model for Physical AI [19]. Bitcoin Japan sees an opportunity to build local deployment and data capabilities within this developing market. This policy context does not constitute government sponsorship or approval of Bitcoin Japan’s activities. [8]
Separate Figure AI exposure and operational strategy
In 2026, Bitcoin Japan obtained indirect financial exposure to Figure AI shares through a fund investment by its US subsidiary. This is separate from the UBTECH distribution agreement. The UBTECH transaction concerns the development of a prospective operating business, while the Figure AI position represents investment exposure. [9]
Financial impact and existing-business restructuring
The financial impact of the agreement on consolidated results for the fiscal year ending March 2027 remains under assessment. The Company will make further disclosures if required under applicable laws and stock-exchange rules. Further information is provided in the related TDnet disclosure, “(Progress of Previously Disclosed Matter) Notice Concerning the Decision to Enter into a Business Alliance with the UBTECH Group (Exclusive Distribution Agreement for Designated Products in Japan)”, dated 16 October 2026.
Separately, the Company has announced restructuring measures to reduce losses in its existing businesses. Any financial effects of those measures should be assessed separately from this agreement.
ABOUT BITCOIN JAPAN CORPORATION
Bitcoin Japan Corporation (TSE: 8105), formerly Marusho Hotta Co., Ltd., was founded in 1861 and adopted its current name in November 2025. It is developing investment and operating activities across AI-related sectors, including Physical AI, alongside its existing businesses. Website: bitcoin.co.jp.
ABOUT UBTECH
UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP. LTD. (HKEX: 9880), founded in 2012 and headquartered in Shenzhen, develops humanoid robots and smart service robots for industrial, commercial, education and consumer use, including the Walker S series of industrial humanoids, the Tienkung and Walker C series, and the Cruzr service robots.
Phillip Lord is available for interviews. Images and a Japanese version are available at [LINK].
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Statements about planned activities, revenues, deployments and anticipated benefits are forward-looking. Outcomes are subject to certification, supply, performance requirements, demand, financing, data rights, regulation and execution risks. The Company does not represent that forecasts, customer contracts, deployment dates or revenue have been secured where not expressly stated.
enquiries@bjcrobotics.com
