Robots are becoming more autonomous and powerful, capable of overcoming obstacles, thoroughly mapping the environment they are in, before returning to their base, which is self-cleaning. This is not a movie or an advanced technological warfare scenario, but just part of what Dreame, a Chinese company specializing in home cleaning devices, has presented. Its lineup includes wet and dry vacuum cleaners, robots, lawnmowers, and even a highly praised hairdryer.
This happens at Ifa, the major Berlin tech fair, at an elegant stand in black and gold, almost three times the size of last year’s 200 square meters, a sign that Dreame is fully invested. After all, only in Italy, the traditional vacuum cleaner + robot sector is estimated to be worth roughly 500 million euros, according to an industry expert. In France, it’s worth more than double, and in Germany, it’s about the same. Ifa is also an opportunity to present Mova, a spin-off brand heavily focused on robotics. On the big screen at its stand, Dreame shows a graph illustrating the exponential growth of the brand in the European market, a sharp upward curve topped with an arrow, aiming high, as if it could run along the vertical axis indefinitely. Dreame’s market share for cleaning robots exceeds 40% in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, and is approaching this figure in Italy, France, and Austria as well. Dreame is taking over Europe.
The three technological innovations that Dreame presented at Ifa are the new ProLeap System for bypassing obstacles, VersaLift navigation for cleaning under furniture, and the new HyperStream brush that removes 100% of hair and fur. The presentation makes it clear that there is still much progress to be made in this field. At the end of the presentation of the company’s new flagship robot, the Dreame L40, a summary screen appears on the large display framing the lively presence of young CEO Yu Hao, reminiscent of those used by Apple during the launch of the iPhone and its most significant products. It seems that one robot is sold for every three “traditional” vacuum cleaners, now so advanced that they seem to have a completely different DNA from the vacuum cleaners of thirty years ago, such as the H14 Pro, also presented at Ifa by Dreame. The scenario is one of progressive and irreversible automation, with vacuuming “using technology to liberate people’s hands, so they can focus on more creative endeavors,” explains the CEO.
“Our mission is to enhance the quality of life through innovative technology,” co-founder Sean Chen, Managing Director WEU, tells Domus. “We focus on developing products that blend cutting-edge technology with practical design, making home cleaning easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.” On this year’s key theme, Artificial Intelligence, he says it is crucial for Dreame: “It determines how ‘smart’ our products are. Our robotic vacuum can detect distances, obstacles, and steps, and based on what it identifies, it activates different modes.”
Founded in 2017 with the mission of disrupting the home cleaning device market through high technology, in less than ten years Dreame has captured significant shares of the global market, and at Ifa, it is one of the most representative names of that wave of Chinese companies redefining the home appliance market.