Chinese robot vacuums, or floor-sweeping robots, had captured nearly 50 percent of the overseas market by the end of 2022 thanks to continuous technological innovation, Yicai reported on Wednesday.

Chinese brands in 2022 had 68 percent and 55 percent of the market share in Southeast Asia and Europe, respectively, the report said, citing data from market research company GfK.

Ecovacs unveiled its first office in Singapore on Nov 20, whilst Roborock inaugurated a new factory this year in Huizhou, Guangdong province, contributing to further expansion of their export business.

The overseas revenue of Dreame, another Chinese sweeping robot maker, had surged 110 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of this year, an official of the company told a journalist from Yicai.

"Singapore serves as a crucial bridge connecting Asia and the world, with the potential to act as a logistics hub in Southeast Asia, linking important markets such as Europe, Australia and the Middle East," said Qian Cheng, vice-chairman and CEO of Ecovacs.

As a commercial hub for the group in the Southeast Asian market, the Singapore office aims to further drive Ecovacs' global business development, Qian said.

In H1 of 2023, Ecovacs' overseas business revenue increased 26.5 percent year-on-year, and that of intelligent household appliances such as Tineco floor scrubbers grew 24.2 percent on a yearly basis, according to the company’s financial report and public data.

In the third quarter of this year, Ecovacs Robotics and the Tineco brand witnessed a 47 percent and 53 percent year-on-year increase in overseas revenue respectively, surpassing the overall revenue growth rate of the group.

Relevant data indicates that from 2023 to 2030, the Asia-Pacific smart home appliance market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22 percent.

Since entering the Southeast Asia market in 2017, Ecovacs has continued to expand its product lines overseas, including floor-sweeping robots, window-cleaning robots, air purifiers, smart lawnmowers, as well as floor scrubbers and cooking appliances.

The company has also collaborated with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Shopee and Lazada to expand its market share in Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Dreame has expanded its presence in several regions, including Southeast Asia, Russia, Northeastern and Southwestern Europe, and newly entered emerging markets such as the Central and East Africa, India, and South America in 2023.

From January to July 2023, Dreame witnessed a 110 percent year-on-year growth in overseas business revenue.

During this year's Singles Day promotion, Dreame's total sales in the Southeast Asian market surpassed 100 million yuan ($13.99 million). The company aims to further enhance its layout in overseas markets in the future.

"China's vacuum cleaner industry has already established a leading position in technological innovation and the entire upstream and downstream industry chain," said Ma Jia, senior manager of GfK's Home Appliance Division China.

Apart from floor-sweeping robots "going global", Ma notes that as floor scrubbers outside the Chinese market are still in their nascent stages, this is the opportune time for Chinese brands to capture overseas markets.

Ma anticipates a certain form of integration between the functionalities of floor scrubbers and floor-sweeping robots, and sustained technological innovation is expected to be the driving force for the future development of the cleaning appliance industry.

Web editor: Wang Xiaoxuan

Reviewer1: Zhang Yanlan

Reviewer 2: Pang Bo

Reviewer3:Tang Caihong

English Reviewer: Shen Fei