SZ Next | iKitbot goes global: From SZ to Japan, Europe, beyond

Shenzhen: Shenzhen Daily

In the bustling aisles of shopping malls, the crowded corners of supermarkets, and even the confined spaces of elevators, one might encounter a rather big yet sleek cleaning robot. While service robots engage customers with lively voice interactions, these cleaning robots are the unsung “silent doers.” More than just machines, they are productive allies that liberate human cleaners from monotonous tasks, stepping in to handle the grunt work with precision and reliability. This was precisely the vision of Wang Xuesong when he founded Shenzhen iKitbot Technology Co. Ltd. in 2021.

After four years, the company is making significant inroads in the global market. Its smart iKitbot One commercial cleaning robot is winning over clients in Japan and Europe with its remarkable capabilities — it is “ultra-quiet,” “stain-busting,” “water-mark-free,” and “effortless.”

Spotting market potentials

Before founding his own company, Wang had already entered the service robot industry in 2014. He worked at OrionStar, a world-leading provider of AI service robot solutions, and Candela Technology, a prominent service robot supplier — both based in Shenzhen. His years of experience have endowed him with extensive product engineering expertise and a keen sense of foresight. This has enabled him to see a great opportunity in the commercial cleaning robot industry as labor shortages and rising costs in the traditional cleaning industry are driving companies to seek alternative solutions.

China now has approximately 100,000 cleaning companies employing nearly 14 million cleaners. Of these workers, about 30% are specifically dedicated to floor cleaning. With an average annual labor cost of around 60,000 yuan (US$8,350) per cleaner, the market size for floor cleaning alone is estimated to be in the tens of billions of yuan.

The demand for cleaning services remains high, as evidenced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security’s list of the top 100 “most in-demand” occupations in the third quarter of 2022, where cleaners ranked fifth. However, cleaning jobs, which are highly repetitive, are becoming less desirable to workers. As a result, companies are increasingly turning to cleaning robots, especially for high-frequency daily cleaning tasks.

Despite the significant potential, the market penetration rate of commercial cleaning robots is less than 1%。

Keenly sensing the business opportunities in the niche market of commercial cleaning robots, Wang embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in 2021 and founded iKitbot.

“The name iKitbot is derived from the combination of three words: AI, kit, and robot,” he explained. “It encapsulates our vision for the future: to empower the cleaning industry with AI and develop the smartest robots to liberate human laborers globally, ultimately making life better for everyone.”

Wang’s company specializes in providing commercial robotic solutions for office buildings, hotels, hospitals, airports, transportation hubs, and factories. As a flagship product, its iKitbot ne robot, which can cover up to 4,000 sqm, allows users to customize cleaning based on different floor types and environments. It excels in noise control and wastewater recovery performance, operating at a noise level that is far lower than that of its peers and boasting a high wastewater recovery rate. Additionally, it dries the floor while removing water stains.

Targeting foreign markets

From the outset, Wang and his team targeted the overseas market, selecting Japan as their first destination for global expansion.

“Japan has the world’s most severe aging population and a critically scarce labor force,” Wang explained. “Moreover, as a traditional robotics powerhouse, Japan has high public acceptance of robotic products.”

Wang noted that Japanese cleaning companies struggle to recruit capable cleaners due to the aging population, with most current cleaners being part-time seniors. Additionally, cleaners’ monthly wages nearing 15,000 yuan have driven up labor costs. As a result, the Japanese market urgently needs cleaning robots, Wang added.

The Japanese market has become a crucial battleground for domestic commercial cleaning robot companies seeking to expand overseas. Companies such as Gaussian Robotics, Keenon, and Shenzhen-based Pudu are actively making strategic moves to enter this market.

“The presence of commercial cleaning robots in Japan is still limited, which means the market potential is vast,” Wang said. “However, this does not mean that everyone can easily succeed there.”

According to Wang, Japan differs from China in its understanding of products and business rules. “In Japan, business partners prefer a more deliberate and cautious approach to decision-making. In most cases, they require your product to undergo multiple tests and demonstrate functional reliability before placing orders,” he added.

IKitbot cleaning robots hit the Japanese market last June and have sold several hundred units there so far. Encouraged by this success, the company began exploring the European market at the end of last year, starting with Germany and some western European countries. “We expect to sell about 1,000 units in Europe this year,” said Wang.

He noted that social platforms play a more significant role in European business negotiations compared to Japan’s more traditional communication methods. “Europe wasn’t our primary target until next year, but many European clients proactively reached out to us on social platforms. This prompted us to accelerate our expansion plans there,” he added.

Gearing up for brighter chapter

Wang emphasized that the global market for commercial cleaning robots holds immense potential for growth, and he is highly confident in the competitiveness of China-made robotic products, which he believes, are more cost-efficient and high-performing compared to their peers.

The iKitbot One cleaning robot has won an iF Design Award.

According to the latest report from QYResearch, the global commercial cleaning robots market is projected to reach US$1.71 billion by 2031.

Wang’s company is working on developing modular robots, which are also called modular reconfigurable robots. These robots are made up of multiple interchangeable parts that can automatically connect and disconnect to form different shapes and perform various tasks.

“Most service robots currently have limited functions,” Wang said. “Cleaning robots clean, delivery robots transport, but neither can multitask.”

He explained that if a robot’s mobile base and operational components can be separated and recombined automatically, it could switch tasks within the same environment. For example, a cleaning robot could clean floors before and after work, manage inventory in between, and even greet customers if staff are busy. This flexibility would cut labor costs and boost workplace efficiency.

“We aim to make our cleaning robots smarter and adaptable to different scenarios, a goal we plan to achieve within the next two years,” he said.