MaKe | MaHui Member "Starmax Innovation Beatbot" Secures 1 Billion RMB in Funding, Opening a New Chapter for Yard Robots

Starmax, the global premium pool-cleaning robot brand, has completed a new funding round, securing an additional 1 billion yuan and bringing its total raised across three rounds to 1.5 billion yuan. This round attracted top-tier industry and dollar-denominated investors, led exclusively by Meituan Longzhu, with existing shareholders Source Code Capital, Hillhouse, Shunwei Capital, Cathay Capital, Anker, Monolith, and Yunmu Fund all increasing their stakes.

Innovation and Brand as Twin Engines, Building the World's Leading Premium Pool Robot Brand

Less than two years after officially launching its brand in early 2024, Starmax has won recognition from consumers across European and American markets with remarkable technical strength and growth velocity — capturing 85% market share in the $1,400-plus price segment in its first year, then climbing to over 90% of the ultra-premium market share early this year with its second-generation product. It has rapidly evolved from a startup into the number one brand in the global premium pool-cleaning robot赛道. Starmax's success was no accident, but the inevitable result of precise market insight, relentless pursuit of technical and product innovation, and a differentiated, global brand strategy:

Full-Stack Self-Developed Technology as Core Moat

Traditional pool-cleaning robots have long suffered from low cleaning coverage, poor navigation, and cumbersome user experiences. From day one, Starmax chose the hardest yet most correct path: rejecting piecemeal technical assembly in favor of end-to-end independent R&D. Currently, technical staff account for over 60% of the team, with R&D investment reaching 20% of total revenue. The company has accumulated more than 260 patents, over 150 of which are invention patents. Starmax pioneered core underlying technologies including brushless water pumps balancing cleaning efficiency and durability, AUV spatial movement, sonar-laser SLAM, and proprietary AI mapping algorithms — forming a technical moat that is difficult to replicate and serving as the solid foundation for its premium brand positioning. The "abundant fruits" of technical innovation owe not only to the "strength" of the founding team led by engineer-turned-founder Shengle Wang, but also demonstrate Starmax's firm commitment to "driving brand development through innovation."

User-Centric Product Excellence, Redefining Industry Standards

Starmax deeply understands that technology must translate into perceivable value for users. With the goal of "creating beyond-expectation experiences through disruptive innovation," the company integrates breakthrough innovations into refined product experiences.

Before Starmax, cordless pool-cleaning robots fell into two categories — those focused solely on surface cleaning, and those covering pool floor, walls, and waterline. Starmax's first-generation robot, the AquaSense Pro, pioneered a unique buoyancy chamber system and submarine-inspired propulsion technology enabling automatic surfacing and diving. It not only cleans the pool floor, scrubs walls and waterlines, but also gracefully skims leaves from the surface, achieving full-water-column 3D operation for the first time. Additionally, it features an automatic clarifier dispensing system that purifies water while cleaning. After completing its task, the robot autonomously returns to dock at the water's edge. Users simply press one button to start cleaning, then receive an app notification to retrieve the robot when it surfaces — effortless from start to finish.

Starmax's second-generation AquaSense 2 series, launched in 2025, once again leads the industry — debuting an AI camera with multi-sensor fusion advanced vision technology, paired with proprietary AI algorithms that precisely plan optimal cleaning paths while boosting smart app map visualization success rates to 90%. It even features AI debris recognition, identifying leaves and fruit on the pool floor for targeted cleaning, directly advancing the industry's intelligence to a new level. Following minimalist aesthetic design principles, the entire AquaSense 2 line adopts fluid integrated design with premium materials and techniques (such as automotive-grade IMR film coating), serving not merely as durable tools but as sophisticated tech accessories that enhance any backyard — combining utility with aesthetic value.

Differentiated Global Strategy, Precisely Anchoring Premium Positioning

Starmax was born global. The team started with European and American markets, going head-to-head with established international giants in markets with the highest demands for quality, technology, and brand. Founder Shengle Wang insisted on entering at a premium price point 4-5x above industry average rather than getting dragged into price wars from the start. This precise market positioning not only established a premium, tech-forward, reliable brand image and won recognition from high-end consumers, but also single-handedly raised the industry's ceiling — providing consumers with superior experiences combining premium technology, quality, and service while securing more sustainable room for continued technical innovation.

On channels and marketing, Starmax operates both online and offline with clear premium brand strategy. Online, it entered through its direct-to-consumer site and Amazon, consistently ranking first in premium market categories. Offline, it has successfully entered over 2,000 retail stores globally, covering major KA channels and pool-specialty channels across the US, Europe, and Australia; it has also launched pop-up stores in premium shopping districts in key markets to enhance engagement with target consumers and fully convey the premium brand and product experience. Beyond this, Starmax continues diverse collaborations with international top athletes and celebrities like Serena Williams, accelerating its global brand building.

Deepening the Core Pool-Cleaning Track While Opening New Strategic Frontiers

This successful funding round fully validates market recognition of Starmax's technical strength and growth prospects. The new capital will focus on accelerating next-generation smart product R&D and iteration to further widen the technical moat; expanding global market channels and sales networks while strengthening localized operations; continuing to attract top global talent; and simultaneously enhancing brand influence.

At the same time, Starmax officially announces its entry into the smart lawn-mowing robot sector, opening a new strategic frontier. As founder Shengle Wang stated: "This is a much larger market, but Starmax intends to take a more disciplined, more difficult path. We won't get drawn into homogenized competition, but rather focus on specific niche scenarios and user needs, building our unique positioning through differentiated strategy and technical innovation."

Looking ahead, Starmax will use this as a new starting point — not only continuing to consolidate its leading position in pool-cleaning robots, but also systematically applying the successful experience accumulated in pool scenarios to blaze new trails with an innovative posture, reshaping the future landscape of smart yard robots.