Features

Discipline on positioning and direct consumer access are helping factories become brands.

The company’s rise traces back to a founder who has avoided the spotlight for years.

Founder Zhang Wei sees 2026 as the first year of real deployment, not a downturn, for humanoid robots.

A focus on partnerships, chip flexibility, and execution has kept the company in contention.

Electrification and a new generation of users are reshaping a century-old industry once built for retirees.

Appearances at CES and NRF, alongside the opening of its 100th Sunmi Home outlet, signal a deeper investment in North America and overseas markets.

Once anonymous, small manufacturers in China are using TikTok videos and live streams to build global demand and their own identities.

The low-profile startup’s intriguing technology has prompted market scrutiny of its origins.