Youlife Group Inc. (NASDAQ:YOUL) saw its stock rise 5.2% after the company disclosed a non-binding letter of intent to pursue a strategic collaboration with VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ:VCIG). VCI Global shares moved in the opposite direction, slipping 2.2% after the announcement.
The proposed arrangement would pair robotics, artificial intelligence and human workforce management into a workforce-as-a-service platform designed to deliver measured productivity capacity to enterprise and industrial customers across ASEAN and selected international markets. Under the terms outlined in the letter of intent, VCI Global would supply the robotics system architecture, AI software and financing structures, while Youlife would take responsibility for workforce deployment, on-site operations and training.
According to the description of the platform, key components will include AI-powered computer vision, autonomous robots and real-time workforce orchestration algorithms. The commercial model differs from traditional capital acquisition or large-scale hiring: clients would contract for guaranteed production capacity rather than purchase robots outright or onboard substantial additional headcount, effectively converting automation into an operating expense.
"This platform is designed for scale. We are not automating tasks - we are rebuilding the operating system of blue-collar work using AI and robotics," said Yunlei Wang, CEO and Chairman of Youlife.
Initial rollouts are planned for sectors the companies say have clear automation demand: food processing, warehousing, light manufacturing and electronics assembly. Each engagement is expected to be structured as a multi-year service contract. Youlife positions itself as a leading blue-collar lifetime service provider in China, and after pilot deployments the company intends to broaden the platform across ASEAN and pursue opportunities tied to government-led automation initiatives.
From an operational standpoint, the proposal emphasizes combining capital-intensive robotics and AI capabilities with workforce management and training, and offering customers a predictable, capacity-guaranteed service rather than a one-time equipment sale. The letter of intent is non-binding, and the companies describe initial deployments as pilot-led, with expansion contingent on the outcomes of those pilots and subsequent commercial agreements.
Market reaction: Youlife stock gained 5.2% on the announcement, while VCI Global shares fell 2.2%.