iRobot plans big investment

iRobot's product. [Photo provided to China Daily]

iRobot Corp, the US-based robotic technology solutions provider, which is known primarily as a maker of robot vacuum cleaners, is planning to triple or quadruple its investment in the Chinese market next year, in view of its average annual growth rate of 70 to 100 percent in China.

The company will open its Chinese headquarters in Shanghai on Thursday to strengthen marketing and promotion in China and extend its robotic products to healthcare services and the smart-home field.

"iRobot is focused on significant growth opportunities in China. We are continuing to increase the size of manufacturing operations in China as well as engineering functions. China is an incredibly important part of iRobot's strategy and we will continue to grow," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot.

Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It launched on Tuesday its Braava jet mopping robot designed for the Chinese market. Starting at 1,999 yuan ($299), the compact robot mops hard floors to remove fine dust and stains. It cleans even in hard-to-reach places, like under cabinets and furniture.

"We will continue to diversify our home robot offerings and identify new product categories tailored for Chinese consumers," said Angle.

Angle emphasized that they are growing their investment in China very quickly and that establishing the headquarters in China is just the next step of their growth strategy.

"We will probably spend three to four times as much as money on marketing and advertising in 2017 as we did in 2016."

He also estimated the overall growth of home robots globally is about 25 percent. In China, the growth rate is very fast, close to 70 or 100 percent.