Beatbot, a Chinese company that develops high-end robotic pool cleaners, has raised around RMB 1 billion (USD 140 million) in a new funding round led by DragonBall Capital, the investment arm of Meituan. Existing backers including Hillhouse Capital, Shunwei Capital, Cathay Capital, Source Code Capital, Anker Innovations, Monolith, and Yunmu Capital also increased their stakes. Yunmu Capital remains the company’s long-term financial advisor.
The proceeds will be used for R&D and product iteration, international expansion, recruitment of global talent, and exploration of new applications for its technology.
Founded in July 2022, Beatbot has developed proprietary systems such as high-speed brushless pumps, autonomous underwater vehicle motion control, and sonar- and laser-based SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) navigation. Its pool cleaning robots are designed to combine efficiency, autonomy, and ease of use.
CEO Wang Shengle, who previously worked at a leading Chinese consumer robotics company, brings more than a decade of R&D and product development experience. He helped launch robotic vacuum cleaners and window cleaning robots before founding Beatbot.
The global swimming pool market is projected to grow from USD 8.9 billion in 2025 to USD 11.54 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%, according to Mordor Intelligence. North America accounts for about one-third of the market due to its large number of residential pools and higher discretionary spending.
Traditional pool maintenance is labor-intensive and costly. Robotic pool cleaners are being adopted at a rate of roughly 25% annually, though innovation has been limited. Beatbot is positioning itself as a premium provider, with an average selling price above USD 2,000.
In 2024, the company introduced the AquaSense and AquaSense Pro, which together generated a nine-figure RMB sum in sales within six months. Beatbot reported an 85% share of China’s online market for robotic pool cleaners priced at USD 1,400 and above during its first year of commercialization.
In January, Beatbot introduced the AquaSense 2 Ultra, which it describes as the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered pool cleaning robot with five-in-one capabilities. The model is equipped with 27 sensors, including an AI-compatible camera, infrared, ultrasound, depth, and temperature detectors. Its self-developed brushless motor and buoyancy control system enable wall climbing, precise waterline scrubbing, surface floating, and autonomous docking, and it is designed to adapt to different pool structures and materials.
The robot’s software runs on a quad-core processor with Beatbot’s proprietary visual mapping system. Unlike cleaners that rely on random movement or basic navigation, it employs multi-sensor SLAM to map pools, detect debris, and adjust cleaning paths in real time. AI-driven motion control enables the device to operate closely along walls and corners.
User feedback played a role in the design process. Earlier models were heavy and difficult to retrieve after climbing walls. To address this, Beatbot added buoyancy controls, lighter builds, one-click recall, and surface docking. A companion app lets users track cleaning progress remotely.
“Ultimately, the products we bring to market depend on the depth of our user insights and the limits of our technical capabilities,” CEO Wang told 36Kr. He added that Beatbot aims to focus on unmet user needs rather than incremental upgrades: “Differentiated innovation based on real pain points is the path we’ve chosen.”
Beyond pools, Beatbot is extending its robotics expertise to lawn care. The company has started developing robotic lawn mowers, leveraging its work in mobility, sensing, and AI-driven navigation for outdoor applications.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Huang Nan for 36Kr.