Aqara

Aqara is a Chinese smart-home company that positions itself as a whole-home intelligence provider, building both B2B IoT solutions and direct-to-consumer custom smart-home services . It claims to be one of China's earliest companies capable of delivering scalable one-stop wireless whole-home intelligence, with over 30 product categories, more than 500 self-developed SKUs, and 800-plus patent applications as of late 2021 .

The company has deep ties to major global tech ecosystems: its products integrate with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Xiaomi's Mijia platform, and it has been described as having "strong strategic cooperation" with Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and LG . By mid-2024, Joy Capital's Erhai Liu noted that over 50% of Aqara's revenue came from overseas, citing it as a "born global" case . Its international push has included launching on Amazon Japan and partnering with Best Buy in the U.S., with products available in Apple Stores across multiple markets .

On the funding side, Aqara raised a 1 billion yuan Series C in October 2021 led by investors including Shenzhen Capital Group, Joy Capital, China Telecom, and others; Gaorong Capital, which had backed its Series A in 2015, also participated . The capital was earmarked for R&D, global channel buildout, brand development, and talent recruitment .