At least nine Chinese brands launched new robotic lawnmowers at this year’s IFA, Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, as the industry commits to continued expansion in the EU, despite an ongoing anti-dumping investigation by Brussels against their products.
Chinese lawnmower makers turned one hall at IFA in Berlin – which ran from Friday to Tuesday – into a patchwork of artificial gardens, with brands setting up demonstrations on their respective turfs.
“Everyone came in over the past two years,” said Ryan Kong, Segway Navimow’s general manager for Europe. Robotic lawnmowers, a category with almost no market in China, have become a new export frontier for Chinese makers.
IFA had no shortage of loud newcomers. Robot vacuum makers Dreame and Roborock, plus pool-robot maker Aiper, have all entered the market since 2024. Mova, a Dreame brand, hired a DJ, as five mowers waved fans with robotic arms in time with the music to draw visitors.
Chinese makers have been drawn by the growth potential of what was once a niche market. Annual sales of robotic lawnmowers in Europe have risen from about 800,000 units in 2021 to roughly two million, and could reach three to four million, Kong estimated.
Navimow’s growth has mirrored the market. Launched in 2021, the company said global sales rose from 3,000 units in its first full year to about 300,000 last year. Its operating entity earned 269 million yuan (US$40.1 million) in the first half, according to the interim report from its parent company Segway-Ninebot.