Chinese tech media outlet 36kr confirmed today that Winnerobot (云象商用机器), a startup producing commercial cleaning robots, recently had raised tens of million of yuan from a pre-Series A round of funding.
Winnerobot did not disclose the names of the investors.
The Hangzhou-based company, which was incubated by mobile robot manufacturer Guozi Robotics (国自机器人), is committed to developing commercial robot sweepers and scrubbers for indoor application.
To date, the startup has released three models, namely, T1, T3 and T3-Plus, catering to a number of use cases such as shopping arcade, hospital, industry and transport hub.
Together, they help upgrade the traditional mode of cleaning in these venues and enhance the digital and intelligent levels of service providers, said Winnerobot.
Rising labor costs are among the reasons behind a spike in demand for commercial cleaning robots in recent years.
New business models such as robot-as-a-service (RaaS), or leasing on a seasonal basis, also helped increase the adoption of these otherwise pricey innovations by offering an alternative to one-off purchase.
The company’s website claims that it has shipped its robotic cleaners to more than 20 countries and regions, serving over 150 projects with an entire floor space of 70 million sqm.
To survive and even thrive in the commercial cleaning sector, Winnerobot needs to take on market incumbents such as Gausium (高仙机器人), Ecovacs (科沃斯, 603486.SH), Siasun (新松机器人) and up-and-comers like Sparkoz (汤恩智能).
Competition on this scene is poised to heat up as more startups rush in, trying to disrupt the landscape.
