Anker Innovations has a new focus on consumer-grade robotics, and printing hardware. Both sectors were previously weak but now have a renewed momentum.
Eufy, a sub-brand known for smart home gadgets and robotic lawn mowers, launched a robotic model at CES in January. In April, the mower was available on AliExpress and sales in Germany exceeded USD 10,000 within the very first week. Around the same period, Anker rebranded their 3D printing offshoot AnkerMake to EufyMake, and launched the EufyMake E1UV printer on Kickstarter.
The gamble paid off. In just 12 hours, E1 raised more than USD $10 million. Since then, it has surpassed USD 20 million and broken records for tech crowdfunding globally.
It’s a remarkable comeback for Anker. The company had abandoned a robotic lawnmower project and struggled with scaling its first 3D Printer due to manufacturing hiccups. Anker’s reputation in the world of cross-border ecommerce did not help these ventures gain traction. It was one of the first Chinese companies to create a global brand, challenging stereotypes regarding “Made in China”.
Anker began with mobile power banks and expanded into audio products under Soundcore. It then developed smart home products through Eufy. At its peak, it had 27 product teams. Outside Soundcore, however, only a few sub-brands have found lasting success. Yang Meng, the founder of Anker, acknowledged that Anker’s ceiling had been reached by 2021. He cut ten products lines and concentrated on strengths such as audio and power. This reset worked. Anker will have a revenue of RMB 20 billion by 2024 (USD 2.8 billion), with top-line and bottom-line increases exceeding 30%.
The company is now betting that niche robotics, and printing, could unlock its next stage. Anker’s entry into consumer UV printing was a surprise success
. EufyMake E1 has been marketed as the first personal UV printer capable of producing embossed and 3D-textured surfaces. The bulky industrial UV printers of the past are still used today. They use ultraviolet light for curing ink on surfaces such as acrylic, leather or wood but are usually limited to flat media.
This model is flipped. It targets hobbyists with its compact AI-powered design. Starting at USD 1,899, (early bird pricing is USD 1,699) it targets small businesses and hobbyists. Its most notable feature is that layered inks can reach a maximum of five millimeters, enabling tactile printing. Users can upload an image and choose from more than 20,000 design templates before hitting print. AI takes care of the rest, including color calibration and scan alignment.
Dual Lasers and a Nanoscale Camera boost print accuracy while a proprietary JetClean System reduces maintenance costs by 90% when compared to conventional machines.
A consumer hardware investor said that the product “hits a sweet spot on the market”. “There is no comparable product on the market right now. It is less complex than a 3D Printer, but more advanced than Laser Engravers. Anker knows how to market it.”
According to the investor, the E1’s approach stands out for its ability streamline printing workflows. This could increase its appeal. “Earlier devices had way too many steps. You had to print out the design, manually apply glue, bake and heat-press. “That’s not feasible for the average family,” she said.
The EufyMake E1 website clearly states its target audience: DIY hobbyists and makers, as well as small business owners. This community is often viewed as having a lot of spending power. xTool, a leading laser cutter brand, for example, generates more than RMB 280 million (USD 280) in revenue annually, with a large portion of that coming from this demographic.
While the segment is lucrative, the market is becoming more crowded as Chinese hardware brands enter the sector.
Earlier in the year, xTool released a garment printer which claimed compatibility with almost all fabrics. It also advertised full automation of both the print-to bake workflow for custom and batch jobs. The E1 has similar use cases and appeals a similar user group.
Procolored’s entry level direct-to film (DTF) Printer, which raised USD 1,79 million via Kickstarter, is even closer in scope. It aims to make DTF printers accessible to non-professionals, just like the E1.
According to industry observers, the consumer printer market is mature enough that users know the basics. Now, the demand is fragmenting into niche applications such as printing directly on apparel and bags. Hardware makers are now repackaging these technologies for consumers. Previously, these use cases were B2B.
EufyMake is not the first to have noticed this trend, but it’s a growing one. Despite differences in design, competing products are increasingly targeting the same customers and their needs. The market is poised for intense competitiveness.
Anker is late to the lawn
While the E1 may be a promising category for Anker’s robotic mower, it enters an arena that is much more competitive.
Eufy launched its E15 and E18 robot mowers in February, joining an already busy sector. Both models are priced at low four-figure US dollars.
The approach they use is to eschew perimeter wires and instead rely on computer vision. This strategy was first popularized by Chinese rivals. Despite this, no dominant standard has emerged. Some brands rely on cameras alone, while others combine vision with real-time Kinematic (RTK), and high-end models include LiDAR (light-detection and ranging).
Eufy’s design leans on vision-only obstacle avoidance, a lower-cost but technically demanding route. These systems must operate reliably in dynamic outdoor settings where sunlight, shadows, animals, and garden furniture can create unpredictable challenges.
“Pure vision-based mowers are quite complex,” a robotics investor told 36Kr. “One company’s model once mistook a hedgehog for grass and ran it over, causing public outrage. Lawns are messy environments. They might have animals, droppings, patio furniture. Training for such edge cases takes time and a lot of trial and error.”
Hardware is just one part of the problem.
Anker aims to sell its mowers in both North America and Europe, but lawn care norms vary widely. European lawns tend to be fine-textured and low-maintenance. North American grass is tougher, grows faster, and often requires cutting multiple times per month—conditions that typically favor gas-powered machines.
As of now, boundary-free robotic mowers account for just 2% of the US market. Traditional mowers still dominate.
A more immediate hurdle is distribution.
“Robotic mowers are rugged, high-maintenance machines,” another investor said. “They need servicing and repairs. Installation is tricky, and users often need in-person training. Everyone wants to sell them online, but the reality is these are offline products.”
That creates tension with Anker’s strengths. The company generates around 71.2% of its revenue through online sales, according to its latest annual report. That imbalance could prove problematic as it tries to scale a product that demands local servicing and retail presence.
Still, Anker is unlikely to walk away. As a listed company, it needs to demonstrate new growth avenues, and few categories are expanding faster than consumer robotics.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. Thisarticle was written by Leslie Zhang for 36Kr.
