Leju Robotics raised more than $200 million in fresh funding ahead of a planned listing, demonstrating sustained investor interest in China’s emerging humanoid robot sector as it competes with US rivals.

Participants in the latest funding round included Citic Goldstone and state-backed Shenzhen Investment Holdings Co., Shenzhen-based Leju said Wednesday in a statement. The funds will go toward developing new robots and scaling up production, it added. Leju is partnering with firms including Huawei Technologies Co., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Haier Group Corp to explore new uses of its technology.